Exactly 100 years have passed since the legendary Norwegian Antarctic pioneer became the first person to reach the South Pole. Today the barren region is a site of international research in the areas of meteorology, climatology and astrophysics. In 2012 the new Indian research station “Bharati” will begin its work there. Among other things, highly heat-insulated aluminium components from Wicona will be used in the construction of the futuristic research facility.

For the project the Indian clients are placing their trust in “Made in Germany” experience and engineering skills. The station is designed in a special, efficiently prefabricated container construction. The planning details and the construction of the aluminium facades are oriented to the extreme weather conditions of the South Pole region. Thermal and mechanical loads from blizzards with enormous amounts of snow and high wind speeds, as well as temperatures of -40 °C and below, make the most extreme of demands on the materials. In order to provide the researchers with a magnificent view of the polar region, and to counter a sense of confinement, a large proportion of the facade is glazed.

In this transparent area the exterior shell is built of a specially modified mullion-transom construction with highly heat-insulated aluminium panels and triple-insulated glass elements, with an inclination of up to 15° on both faces. This is based on the Wicona series WICTEC 50 HI, in a modified HI (High Insulated) version. With this construction the facade will achieve an Ucw rating of 0.8 W/(m²K). Because of the design with pre-mounted elements the facade construction flexibly adapts to the modular concept necessary for erecting and dismantling during the test installation in Duisburg and for the final installation at the Antarctic site. At the time of the planned completion in March/April around 25 experts will put the polar station into operation, and live and work there.