Two prefabricated volumes form the Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station, which Estúdio 41 has completed for the Brazilian Navy's scientific research programme in King George Island, Antarctica.
Located near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, the teal-hued 4,500-square-metre facility houses the naval service's Brazilian Antarctic Program, replacing its 1980s base that was ravaged by fire in 2012.
Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station's setting on King George Island
Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station takes the form of two linear, interlinked vessels that comprise 17 laboratories and accommodation for 64 scientists.
It also contains shared living areas, a gym and a library, incorporated by Curitiba-based Estúdio 41 to support the wellbeing of the occupants and offer them respite from the Antarctic's inhospitable landscape. It has a teal-hued prefabricated structure
"The challenges of designing a building for this landscape was creating a shelter, a safe place," studio architect Eron Costin explained.
"In certain parts of the planet, nature sometimes creates harsh conditions for the human body," he told Dezeen.
"To design a building in these places is almost like building a garment, an artefact that protects and comforts. It is an issue of technological performance, but it must go hand-in-hand with aesthetics."
The base comprises two linked volumes
Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station is powered by solar panels and wind turbines. It measures twice ...