Hugh Broughton heads south again
Section through one of the new modules
The team of Hugh Broughton Architects and engineer Faber Maunsell, which designed the Halley VI station currently under construction, has won its second project in the Antarctic.
This time it is for the Spanish. Called Juan Carlos I, the new base will be in the South Shetland Islands. The client is Spain's National Research Council (CSIC), which has been operating a summer research station for the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation on Livingstone Island in Western Antarctica since 1988. It will replace the original station, which has now reached the end of its useful life.
 |
| The base will be constructed from modular fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) monocoque rings. The monocoque structure, similar to that used in Formula 1 racing cars, combines the inherent strength of FRP with the efficiency of a tubular geometry so that a conventional structure is not needed, thus eliminating weight and simplifying delivery and construction |
 |
| The three accommodation units are arranged around a central core. The research units is separated from them, so that it can serve as a refuge and provide temporary accommodation in case of fire. |
 |
| The base is located at 62º south 60º west on Livingstone Island. Livingstone Island is the second largest island in the South Shetland Islands archipelago, to the north west of the Antarctic Peninsula. In winter temperatures drop to around -25º C and in summer rise to an average +2º C. Strong winds buffet the station, regularly exceeding 160 Km/h. The base is only accessible in the summer months |
 |
| Photograph of the existing base |
