Buzz
A straightforward geometric form, a sphere featuring a recessed dish on its surface, became iconic in 1977 through its association with the film Star Wars, famously recognized as the Death Star. This colossal space station, comparable in size to a moon, was equipped with a superlaser capable of annihilating entire planets.
1. Full Moon Hotel
The
Hotel Full Moon
located in Baku, Azerbaijan, is a creation by
Heerim Architects
from Korea. Situated on a peninsula with stunning views of Full Moon Bay, the upscale hotel will feature 382 rooms across its
35 stories
Another luxury hotel planned for the bay, named Hotel Crescent, will mirror its namesake in its architectural design.
2. Dubai's Convention Center
The RAK Convention and Exhibition Center, located in Ras al Khaimah, UAE, bears a striking resemblance to the Death Star. This conceptual project, developed by
Office for Metropolitan Architecture
emerged from a design competition. Spearheaded by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, known for the CCTV building in Beijing, the structure will feature hotels, offices, dining venues, retail spaces, and a grand convention hall. Explore more visuals
here
.
3. National Library of Belarus
In 2006, the National Library of Belarus relocated to a new structure. While not spherical, its design is a rhombicuboctahedron (a challenging term to pronounce
that
three times quickly). Throughout the day, its 24 facades glisten with glass panels. By night, they come alive with 4646 multicolored
LEDs
. The imposing structure in Minsk has sparked debate. It has earned the nickname Death Star due to its appearance and the manner in which it was
financed
.
4. AT&T's Iconic Logo
AT&T's
world globe logo
was created by Saul Bass in 1984, replacing the century-old telephone emblem. This change followed the breakup of Ma Bell into seven regional companies, known as "baby bells." After SBC Communications acquired AT&T in 2005, a refreshed and slightly altered logo was introduced. The
newest one
conceals the iconic Death Star feature more effectively, though some observers
still see
the resemblance to the Evil Empire in the logo.
5. Panapet
The Death Star's unique design predates Star Wars. It's plausible that George Lucas or other creative contributors to Star Wars may have owned a Panasonic R-70 transistor radio, advertised as the
Panapet
.
Very
probable, considering how ubiquitous they were. These radios were manufactured in the early 1970s.
6. Mimas
The most striking natural replica of the Death Star is
Mimas
, one of Saturn's inner moons. It features an 80-mile-wide crater called Herschel, which appears perfectly suited to channel a superlaser. The eerie similarity is
coincidental
, as Star Wars was created years before the first images of Mimas and its crater were captured.
If you're captivated by the design and prefer not to journey to Dubai, Minsk, or Saturn, you can construct your own Death Star using a Lego set—or simply enjoy watching someone else assemble it.
