Keeping Warm in Antarctica – With WICONA

A new research station in Antarctica will be equipped with windows and façades from Hydro’s building systems brand Wicona.



The new Wicona-equipped research station for the country of India will be located in East Antarctica, where it must withstand some of the coldest temperatures and highest wind speeds on Earth.



Wicona's Arnd Brinkmann.

The firm “bof architects” from Hamburg, Germany, designed the research station, which will have an impressive view of the ice, mountains and sea through big Wicona glass façades in the canteen and lounge.

About 40 people will be working at the station – and 15 will stay there all winter long. The big glazed surfaces are part of an architectural design to fight claustrophobic feelings.



The building requirements are extremely tough, as the station must be built during the three-month of Antarctic summer. The solution is a modular collection of 128 containers, with integrated fire-protection windows made of the new Wicline evo series, which was launched earlier this year.



“That the specialist firm for offshore and special architecture 'Made in Germany' chose Wicona illustrates the high quality image and reputation of Wicona’s products,” says Arnd Brinkmann, head of Hydro Building Systems Germany.



The metal building company Lenderoth in Bremen, Germany, is currently assembling the container modules with the integrated windows and façades. They will be shipped to Kapstadt in South Africa, for a test set-up before transport to the final destination.