The inspiration for the design was based on different aspects: we had to keep the logistics in mind and had a very short time to…

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The inspiration for the design was based on different aspects: we had to keep the logistics in mind and had a very short time to build the station – only four months. From the beginning, we had to think about how to transport the building materials to Antarctica, and what sort of containers to use. And then we thought, why not use shipping containers as the actual building blocks of the structure?

So, the basic or primary structure of the Bharathi station is made of 134 shipping containers. We used high-cube containers because of the height of the rooms. Ordinary containers would have been a bit low. We used these containers as the primary construction. But if you only use containers, like Lego stones (that’s the basic idea), you miss the insulation and aerodynamic approach. That’s the reason we wrapped a facade around the containers. The idea was to use the containers like suitcases to transport further building materials, such as the facade, to Antarctica. Once you arrive, you take out the facade and wrap it around the container as insulation, like a second skin.

–IceLab: Building the Indian research station Bharathi in Antarctica | British Council Voices (viaiamdanw)