This project aims to design a plastic research and archive center in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, to document and study the causes and impacts of plastic pollution while exploring the potential for recycling. It is structured around four main areas: Communication, Research, Processing, and Exhibition, which together form a continuous process of documentation, research, education, and recycling to propose sustainable solutions.
The design consists of a central building and surrounding scrapyards. The central building, constructed using recycled plastics, integrates functions for research, exchange, and exhibition, fostering interaction between scientists and visitors. The scrapyards, constructed from plastic waste itself, classify and accumulate micro, household, and industrial plastics, expanding clockwise over time. During this process, they record the accumulation and transformation of plastic waste, and after 40 years, the structures are dismantled and recycled as resources, completing a sustainable cyclical system.
The central building comprises five overlapping masses that house various programs, including Pre-Processing, Wet Lab, Dry Lab, Workshop, Bar, and Café. The Bar and Café, in particular, promote informal interactions between scientists and visitors. Additionally, data exhibition spaces and outdoor decks combine research and display functions, offering opportunities to explore plastic pollution issues and recycling potential.
