Preserving some 986,243 seed species, in zero degrees Fahrenheit, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault protects the legacy of Earth’s fauna. For those who’ve long dreamed of seeing the site themselves, a visitor center known as The Arc is set to open in 2022. Design firm Snøhetta will lead, and their vision is two-fold. First, a mirrored, modernist main building (on a suspended timber frame, so as not to heat the permfrost) will house a cafe and an experiential Arctic World Archive installation. The show-stopping second building swirls toward the sky; inside, the design evokes the experience of standing in the vault itself (and will be kept at 39 degrees Fahrenheit). There will also be a heated conference center within. Read more at Fast Company.
Svalbard’s “Doomsday” Seed Vault to Get a Snøhetta-Designed Welcome Center
