Domaine de Chantilly Cosmic Journey Exhibition Chantilly, Île-de-France, France

Nestled within the 7,800-acre UNESCO-listed Domaine de Chantilly – a pastoral jewel 50km north of Paris where thoroughbred horses graze beside 17th-century stables – we engineered a groundbreaking 4,400m² celestial exhibition complex for the European Space Agency (ESA).

Against this heritage-rich countryside backdrop, nine pillar-free tensile structures (including two 40m-span and seven 30m-span architectural marvels) rose like futuristic constellations, housing Europe’s most iconic space artifacts: full-scale Ariane V rocket sections suspended mid-launch, the Philae lander from the Rosetta comet mission, and interactive Galileo navigation satellite displays that drew 150,000+ visitors over six weeks.

Our team conquered significant rural challenges through precision innovation: solar-ready PVC membranes powered off-grid 200kW HVAC systems maintaining museum-grade 22°C/45% humidity for artifact preservation; terrain-sensitive ground screws replaced concrete foundations to protect ancient root systems; and Dark Sky-compliant LED arrays enabled telescope-assisted stargazing without disrupting nocturnal wildlife.

The structures’ engineered resilience withstood 90km/h winds while preserving sightlines to Chantilly’s turreted château – a deliberate fusion of French patrimony and cosmic ambition where visitors sipped local cider beneath suspended astronaut suits. ESA’s Jean-Luc Moudenc captured the synthesis perfectly: "These tents transformed Capability Brown’s 18th-century landscapes into a celestial oasis – where Baroque elegance met zero-gravity simulators under flawless clear spans that vanished against the night sky."