What does it look like? How big is it? How cold is it? What does it look like inside? Who built it? Who is the architect? What is the theme of the artwork? Who is the artist?
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is blasted into the rock base of Platåfjellet ('Mount Plateau'), about a mile from Longyearbyen airport. The total area is 1000 square meters, but only the concrete entrance lobby is visible outside. The vault is situated in permafrost, at a constant 3-4 degrees Celsius below zero.
Credit: Svalbard Global Seed Vault/Matthias Heyde
The artwork; "Perpetual Repercussion" by Dyveke Sanne adorns the building's roof and upper façade front at the entrance. The artwork renders the building visible from far off both day and night, using highly reflective stainless steel triangles of various sizes. Combined with refractive elements such as mirrors and prisms, the triangles at the entrance catch and reflect light and sunlight. The appearance changes with the time of day as well as the season.
Credit: Svalbard Global Seed Vault/Mari Tefre
New seeds are carried into the vault, packed in crates each containing a maximum of 400 seed types. The crates are sealed by the gene bank which deposits the seeds. Each crate holds up to 400 seed samples, and a seed sample typically consists of around 500 seeds sealed in an airtight aluminium bag. Svalbard Global Seed Vault has the capacity to store 4, 5 million different seed types, and so it can hold duplicates of all the unique seed types currently existing in the many gene banks around the world, and will also be able to accommodate new seed types collected in the future.
Credit: Svalbard Global Seed Vautl/Matthias Heyde
The seeds are packed in sealed bags inside sealed crates, and stacked on tall shelf racks in the vault.
Credit: Svalbard Global Seed Vault/Matthias Heyde
The Norwegian public construction agency, Statsbygg, was the contracting client and is the present owner of the facility, responsible for maintenance and technical operations. The Seed Vault facility was constructed by Leonhard Nilsen & Sons. The architect was Peter W. Söderman at Barlindhaug Consult AS. A scene from the construction period.
Credit: Svalbard Global Seed Vault/Mari Tefre
The building is designed for virtually infinite lifetime. By building the vault 130 meters into the rock and 130 meters above sea level the facility is robustly secured against external hazards and climate change effects.
