The Discovery Building

About the Discovery Building – Antarctica’s New Scientific Hub

The Discovery Building, a cornerstone of the Rothera Modernisation project, represents a major government investment in British polar infrastructure. This new facility will unite science and operations teams at Britain’s largest Antarctic research station, providing support for crucial polar research.

Work began on constructing the building in 2019 as part of the Rothera Modernisation project with the building expected to be completed and handed over to BAS in May 2025.

The Discovery Building was named in 2019 to mark the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica. The construction of the Discovery Building was started in that year.

A new scientific support and operations facility

 This new two-storey facility (4,500m²) enables scientific support and operations functions to work together under one roof. The Discovery Building replaces a number of older buildings that have reached the end of their life. Feedback from our field staff helped to inform the interior design to enhance working conditions and the strong community spirit needed for working in Antarctica.

The Discovery Building includes:

• Plant room and energy centre to recover used heat and distribute power to the station, provide fresh water, and house fire suppression pumps
• Central store to consolidate equipment and cargo stores on station for more effective stock control and efficient cargo management with reduced manual handling
• Workshops and preparation areas for managing equipment and cargo for support science and field expeditions
• New operations hub and offices to support the whole station
• Operations tower to manage communications with deployed Antarctic field groups and aircraft
• New medical centre designed to modern healthcare standards
• Improved training facilities including a climbing wall for expedition teams and an education centre
• Enhanced wellbeing areas including gym, breakout areas, music centre and arts and crafts facility
• Backup systems for life support and operations

Existing facilities will be moved to the new building including operations, field operations, workshop, carpentry shed, garage and generator shed.

Exterior design features

•  Thermally efficient building envelope which will save in energy/cost
• Wind deflector, the largest of its kind in the Antarctic. This minimises the accumulation of snow around the building by redirecting wind flow on the sheltered side to scour snow
• Octagonal control tower provides 360-degree views of the runway, wharf, and station buildings
• The building’s light colour minimises solar heat transfer to its steel envelope which helps to maintain weathertightness

 Interior design features

• An end-to-end corridor through the 90m building which reduces the need to access various parts of the building from outside, minimising heat loss
• A central store located in the middle, providing easier access for all building users
• Multi-functional spaces and zones for efficient use throughout the year including when the number of occupants decreases during the Austral Antarctic Winter
• Designed with operational safety and wellbeing in mind including workspaces, breakout areas, training facilities and roof lights to increase natural light
• Health and safety features with transparent glazed screens between spaces to increase visibility and distinct colours to quickly identify sections of the building
• Modular design so the building can be adapted for future needs

Minimising the impact on the environment

We are committed to making sure that the long-term impact of the new Discovery Building on the Antarctic environment is minimal. Features to improve energy efficiency and reduce our carbon emissions include:

• New Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant with expected 25% reduction in station carbon emissions
• Installation of photovoltaic solar panels
• Thermally efficient building envelope to minimise energy use, with triple glazing and composite insulated metal panels
• Central store to reduce manual handling and ensure an efficient supply
• Improved zoning of building functions reduces energy consumption by minimising time spent accessing different areas
• The location and orientation of the building reduces the amount of resource needed for snow clearing

Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme

The Discovery Building is part of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation (AIM) Programme. Commissioned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), this long-term programme will enable a world-leading capability to ensure that Britain remains at the forefront of climate, biodiversity and ocean research in the Polar Regions.

The Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme is a collaborative partnership responsible for the design and construction of major infrastructure projects. These include the Discovery Building and new Site Wide Services (a distribution network of hot water, seawater and fuel pipework,  data and power cables, bridge crossings, pedestrian walkways, and stairs) at Rothera Research Station.

The programme is delivered by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), construction partner BAM and their team, design consultants Sweco, Hugh Broughton Architects, with Ramboll acting as BAS Technical Advisers, with their team NORR architects and Turner & Townsend.

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