The buildings Halley Research Station

1 buildings

1.1 halley i
1.2 halley ii
1.3 halley iii
1.4 halley iv
1.5 halley v
1.6 halley vi

1.6.1 design competition
1.6.2 design elements
1.6.3 relocation

the buildings

there have been 5 previous bases @ halley. various construction methods have been tried, unprotected wooden huts steel tunnels. first 4 buried snow accumulation , crushed until uninhabitable.

halley i

built: 1956

1956: main structure
1961: main living hut
1964: office block on surface


abandoned: 1968
structure: timber hut

halley ii

built: 1967
abandoned: 1973
structure: series of wooden huts

the roofs reinforced steel supports support weight of snow station still had abandoned in 1973, after 7 years.



halley iii

built: 1973
abandoned: 1983

in 10 years base buried 12–15 metres below surface , access , ventilation problems led abandonment. years later emerged ice cliff @ sea.


structure: built inside armco steel tubing designed take snow loadings building on it

halley iv

built: 1983
abandoned: 1994, engulfed , abandoned
structure:

two-storey buildings constructed inside 4 interconnected plywood tubes access shafts surface. tubes 9 metres in diameter , consisted of insulated reinforced panels designed withstand pressures of being buried in snow , ice.
designed cope being buried in snow.



halley v

built: completed 1990, operational 1989
demolished: late 2012

once successor, halley vi, operational, halley v demolished


structure:

main buildings built on steel platforms raised annually keep them above snow surface.
stilts fixed on flowing ice shelf got close calving edge.
lawes platform: main platform
drewry summer accommodation: 2-storey building on skis , dragged new higher location each year.

the drewry block later moved join halley vi base


simpson building (ice , climate building) (icb): on stilts , raised each year counteract buildup of snow

it housed dobson spectrophotometer used discover ozone hole.


piggott platform (space science building): used upper atmosphere research.



halley vi

built: on 4 summers, first operational data 28 february 2012, officially opened 2013.
structure: modular
cost: approximately £26 million

it structure which, halley v, jacked on hydraulic legs keep above accumulation of snow. unlike halley v, there retractable giant skis on bottom of these legs, allow building relocated periodically.

it string of 8 modules, each on stilts skis.

the drewry summer accommodation building , garage halley v dragged halley vi location , continue used. workshop , storage platform (wasp) provides storage field equipment , workshop technical services. there 6 external science cabooses house scientific equipment each experiment spread across site , clean air sector laboratory (caslab) 1km station.

design competition

an architectural design competition launched riba competitions , british antarctic survey in june 2004 provide new design halley vi. competition entered number of architectural , engineering firms. winning design, faber maunsell , hugh broughton architects chosen in july 2005.

halley vi built in cape town, south africa south african consortium. 26 modular accommodation pods added in total, installed in 8 modules, provides serviced accommodation 32 people. first sections shipped antarctica in december 2007. assembled next halley v, dragged one-by-one 15 km , reconnected.

halley vi station officially opened in antarctica on 5 february 2013. kirk watson, filmmaker scotland, recorded building of space age station on 4-year period. trailer further information can seen @ links below. description of engineering challenges , creation of consortium provided adam rutherford coincide exhibition in glasgow.

design elements

a focus of new architecture desire improve living conditions of scientists , staff on station. solutions included consulting color psychologist create special color palette offset more 100 days of darkness each year, daylight simulation lamp alarm clocks address biorhythm issues, use of special wood veneers imbue scent of nature , address lack of green growth, lighting design , space planning address social interaction needs , issues of living , working in isolation.

another priority of structure construction have least environmental impact on ice possible.

relocation

the british antarctic survey announced intended move halley vi new site in summer 2016-2017. large crack had been propagating through ice , threatened cut station off main body of ice shelf, prompting decision move. planned move see station shifted 23 kilometres (14 mi) previous site , first time station had been moved since became operational in 2012.

whilst station being relocated, concerns new crack had been discovered on 31 october 2016 (dubbed halloween crack ) led bas announce withdraw staff base in march 2017. bas completed relocation of base in february 2017. plan staff return once antarctic winter over, in november 2017.

horizon, long-running bbc documentary series, sent film-maker natalie hewit antartica 3 months document move.