Constructing an Antarctic Atlas

The AA Polar Lab Inaugurates the two year research platform with a workshop devoted to understanding and visualizing the geopolitical system that governs the most extreme andexperimental of all continents: Antarctica.

Punctuated by conversations with Antarctic experts and run in collaboration with Accurat, the workshop aims to construct the first comprehensive Antarctic atlas, which at once charts the evolution of polar architectures (including archaeological huts, bases and 75 scientific stations) while unfolding the implications of The Antarctic treaty. Signed in 1959 by 12 countries, the treaty de-facto “transformed” the continent into a laboratory, i.e. into the only non-nationalized, demilitarized, denuclearized territory of the world, devoted uniquely to shared scientific research. A deep understanding of the policies that contribute to preserve the fragile ecosystem South of -69° 38’ 7.50”– including the famous Protocol on Environmental Protection – will be central to the workshop’s agenda.

Project Title:	Constructing an Antarctic Atlas
Location:	Architectural Association School of Architecture
Year:	2019
Status:	Completed
Programme:	Workshop
Organizer:	UNLESS, The Polar Lab
Directors:	Giulia Foscari and Francesco Bandarin
Speakers:	Klaus Dodds (Royal Holloway), Camilla Nichol (United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust), David Walton (British Antarctic Survey)
Tutors:	Marco Bernardi (Accurat), Lloyd Lee (UNLESS), Federica Zambeletti (UNLESS), Alessandro Zotta (Accurat)
Students:	Aleksandar Aksentijevic, Liam Bolton, Swadheet Chaturvedi, Othmane Kandri, Daniel Kiss, Joanna Lesna, Jane Ching Yee Ling, Joyce Ng, Patricia Roig, Sebastian Serzysko, Olympia Simopoulou, Younseo Song, Sze May Wong.

Photo Credits © Lloyd Lee