The new Polish Antarctic Station named after Henryk Arctowski on King George Island in the South Shetland Archipelago will consist of the main building of Kurylowicz & Associates' design, a lighthouse and a dozen halls and infrastructure facilities allowing it to operate year-round. Later this year, the first structural elements for both the new building and the halls are scheduled to be shipped by ship, and the station itself is expected to be operational in late 2023/early 2024.
In operation since 1977, the year-round station is a base for scientists working in zoology, botany, microbiology, ecology, oceanography, hydrology, geology, geomorphology, and meteorology, among other fields. Exposed to harsh weather conditions, the existing building, although more than 40 years ago it was located a dozen meters from the seashore, is now only a meter from the shoreline of the bay.
The new futuristic body with an aerodynamic shape designed by Kurylowicz & Associates was created as a result of analyses of the building's behavior under the influence of strong winds. The other buildings of the station are being designed and modernized by a consortium of DEMIURG and home OF houses.
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Polish Antarctic Station named after Henryk Arctowski on King George Island, Antarctica
© Kurylowicz & Associates
One of the main ideas guiding the designers in the case of this investment is modularity, repetition and possible simplicity of the proposed solutions, allowing for efficient transportation and implementation. Another condition to be met is to ensure trouble-free operation of the buildings while minimizing the necessary maintenance work in the future. The selection of materials and technical solutions must ensure durability in the harsh climatic conditions prevailing on site," says Rafal Mysiak, president and chief architect of home OF houses.
difficult weather conditions
The biggest challenge at the site is not the low temperatures, but the variable and strong wind that blows most of the year, reaching speeds of 60 m/s in gusts, and conditions that promote corrosion. The force of the wind affected not only the shape of the main building, but also the size of the designed foundations, which must guarantee that the structure is securely attached to the ground. Moreover, the strong wind carries sand and ice particles that "grind" the surfaces, and the climate of the coastal location intensifies the corrosion process of building materials. These conditions determine the use of highly resistant materials and the application of special protective measures, such as on the exterior cladding of the main building, which will be made of an extremely corrosion-resistant aluminum-copper alloy. The enclosure of the less representative objects of the establishment is designed from properly protected steel sheets.
The 
construction of the facade of the main building
© Kurylowicz & Associates
project logistics
The components to be built on site must be manufactured, packaged and transported by sea to Antarctica. Since there is no unloading wharf on site, the building elements from the ship will be transported by amphibious transport. With this in mind, the designers have to adjust the weight and dimensions when dividing the construction to the means of transportation.
In addition to climatic conditions, our design and construction team had to take into account environmental considerations under the Madrid Protocol, which defines the conditions for all activities in Antarctica. According to it, the protection of the environment, including wildlife, scientific and aesthetic values, is crucial when planning this project. When selecting materials and technologies, we must take into account their potential adverse effects on the environment. In practice, this means, for example, minimizing the use of loose sheets of foil, mineral wool or Styrofoam that could be carried away by the wind, using dust-free methods of cleaning existing structural components, using appropriate technological solutions, if only forin terms of wastewater treatment, preventing biologically active substances and materials from entering the environment," says Hubert Maciejewski, project manager of the Antarctic Station and chief designer at DEMIURG Project S.A.
sustainable development
The designers decided to modernize the station's energy system to reduce energy consumption. What's more, the functional layout and installation solutions are expected to give the opportunity to take part of the new building out of service for the winter, thus reducing energy demand. The project will also make use of high-voltage generators and photovoltaic panels, and surplus energy produced will be stored in energy banks.
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buildings of the Polish Antarctic Station named after Henryk Arctowski
© DEMIURG, home OF houses
The Antarctic Station is an unprecedented challenge for the DEMIURG team. Both in terms of design and construction. For the project, we formed a consortium of DEMIURG and home OF houses to combine our experiences and create a team ready to meet the challenge. The lack of standard regulations defining algorithms, determining, at least, climatic loads forces us to take a very pragmatic, engineering approach. So we use archived meteo measurements, available studies, conduct computer simulations. Now, at the stage of detailed design, everything must be planned with the utmost precision, because when assembling in Antarctica there will be no room for any improvisation," says Łukasz Klekotko, CEO of DEMIURG Project S.A.
