MAIDEN VOYAGE IN THE AIR
Plan C Makhno Studio contemplate life on Mars as the ultimate escape from the global pandemic.
Given the adversity faced by humans on planet Earth over the past two years, there’s many of us who have dreamt of escaping to a galaxy far, far away. Typically, this is little more than a fantasy, but Ukranian design firm Makhno Studio have gone a step further and envisioned a settlement on Mars. “In 2020, during the first lockdown, we wondered whether it was possible to make life underground comfortable if life on Earth became impossible,” explains the studio’s founder Sergey Makhno. “That’s how we came up with Plan B – a proposal for an underground bunker that made headlines across the globe. In 2021, we tried to imagine our lives away from planet Earth, thus we came up with Plan C, a Martian settlement.” The concept is based around a bagel-shaped structure with a protective outer shell that shields inhabitants from radiation and sand storms. Inside, there’s research facilities and a restaurant, as well as a greenhouse to grow food and plenty of plantlife to provide oxygen. The highlight however is the sleeping quarters, where a ceiling screen over the bed displays scenes of the Milky Way. While Plan C may seem like the ultimate escape from the pandemic, there’s no evidence for the possible colonisation of Mars so for now, it will have to remain a flight of imagination.
