the svalbard science centre, located in longyearbyen, norway, has a copper clad roof specially designed for
the location’s climate. the building by jarmund/vigsnaes architecture is an addition to an existing building,
that added around 4 times more space for the svalbard museum and university research lab. the skin was
specially designed based on the region’s harsh wind and snow conditions, prevent the snow from
accumulating in unwanted areas. the new building was built using wood on elevated poles to prevent
thawing the permanent frost. inside, the architects wanted to create a public space for gathering in the cold
dark winters. they also used lots of vivid colours inside with warm timbre cladding to further enhance the
space for the climatic conditions.

http://www.jva.no



















photography by nils petter dale