THE ARCTIC PIT STOP
Infrastructural Network
Svalbard Archipelago
2015
Providing a unique site condition as a sovereign state in the Arctic Circle, Svalbard is in the center of the discussion of infrastructural and natural resource rights in one of the last frontiers on Earth.
As ice caps slowly thaw due to climate change, the Arctic Circle will soon provide opportunities for inter-oceanic pathways and infrastructure. The project proposes a new future identity for Svalbard. Being the northernmost settlement in the Arctic, Svalbard will become a pit stop for arctic vessels to pass, thus a need for energy production and distribution will be the next necessity for Svalbard.
The project proposes an infrastructural system that harnesses renewable energy through solar, wind, and tidal power with architectural elements that act as both functional entities to generate and distribute energy as well as become icons for Svalbard’s new identity.
Group research with Hillary Ho, Jack Tao, and Ren Wang on the politics and history of resource extraction in Svalbard.
Energy Distribution System:
Energy Circuit from the Beacon to the Energy Station:
The Renewable Energy Network becoming an identifier for Svalbard, as seen potentially in memorabilia:
