THE MERIDIAN PLANETARIUM AT GREENWICH
In 1985 the National Maritime Museum invited Ian Ritchie Architects to investigate the possibilities to bring the observatory at the top of Greenwich Park into the 20th and 21st century.
We invented the idea of the spheriscope - a planetarium providing a full 360° spherical experience. Unfortunately, the Royal Parks Commission rejected the idea of any further building at the original observatory or within the park. 
The Greenwich Meridian runs through , and meets the River Thames about half a mile to the north. At this point on the river bank, at a bend in the river, are spectacular views up and down river. The heart of the old town of Greenwich with its tourist attractions is only a few minutes away along the riverside walkway.
We reconceived the spheriscope on this site. The main visible part of the planetarium will be the spheriscope : a smooth, low-reflective glass-skinned sphere supported above the river bank and set in a landscaped garden. The sphere will be ringed by a circular viewing and exhibition gallery at its equator, reached by a pair of escalators and a lift from the supporting accommodation.
The structure of the sphere will be a steel shell on which inner and outer skins will be mounted. The array of light sources set into the shell will be visible through the translucent glass skin, and may be programmed to provide animated displays, images, or information - they may, for example, trace the course of significant astronomical bodies or satellites.
The planetarium will, with 300 spectators floating on a glass floor in the middle of a 30m (100ft) diameter sphere. Co-ordinated images will be projected in vector fields onto upper and lower hemispherical surfaces. These will combine to produce a total illusion of floating in space or moving through space, with the possibility of upper and lower star field and planetary object images moving together to reinforce a three-dimensional effect of movement in any direction.
The audience will sit on a non-reflective glass floor with minimal structure supporting it, each person having enough space to see down in all directions. Up to 150 perimeter reclining seats will be available for those preferring not to sit on the floor. The glass surface and cleanliness will be preserved by issuing disposable ‘space over-shoes’ to each visitor, to be kept as a souvenir.
Supporting accommodation will house exhibition space, seminars, reference library, restaurant, bar, members room, offices, workshops and studio.
Although outline planning premission was granted on 28 January 1992 by unanimous decision of the Greenwich Planning Committee, the project was not realised due to lack of financial support.