Roden Crater is an unprecedented large-scale artwork created within a volcanic cinder cone by light and space artist James Turrell.

Purchased in 1977, Roden Crater is part of a volcano that had been extinct for 390,000 years, requiring a journey into a remote desert.

Inside the crater, Turrell has shaped the site into a massive naked-eye observatory designed for experiencing and contemplating celestial light.

Representing the culmination of Turrell's lifelong research into human visual and psychological perception, the site features a series of tunnels and chambers.

One of the tunnels is over 260 metres long and has been described by the Smithsonian as follows:

"When the moon passes overhead, its light streams down the tunnel, refracting through a six-foot-diameter lens and projecting an image of the moon onto an eight-foot-high disk of white marble below. The work is built to align most perfectly during the Major Lunar Standstill every 18.61 years. The next occurrence will be in April 2025.”

To calculate the alignment of light into the tunnel, Turrell consulted astronomers and astrophysicists.

“Because the universe is expanding, he must account for imperceptible changes in the geometry of the galaxy,” The Smithsonian continues. “He has designed the tunnel, like other features of the crater, to be most precise in about 2,000 years."

The site, still a work-in-progress, has been regarded by visitors as transcendental. Notably, Kanye West filmed ‘Jesus Is King’ at Roden Crater and has expressed a desire to “live in a Turrell”.

Constructed to be experienced for centuries to come, when complete, the project will contain 24 viewing spaces and six tunnels.

Photos via Taschen.