Science Beyond Diplomacy Part 2 Project 2025 Barnaby Thornton University of Portsmouth | UK Perched on the mountainside above the derelict Soviet settlement of Pyramiden, Svalbard’s new international research hub emerges. Through considered integration with the site’s unique landscape, ecology and climate the proposal promotes true international collaboration over veiled geopolitical ambition.Influenced by the philosophies of Ralph Erskine, the design of the Community Complex is rooted in the landscape and embraces the extremes of the Arctic climate. The proposal responds directly to the mountain’s contours through a stepped, cut- and-fill foundation and a Sheild Wall that uses the existing slope of an alluvial valley to dynamically direct prevailing wind over its form while capturing low-angle seasonal light. Various other passive design strategies and repurposed materials also ensure environmental sensitivity is respected.Since Pyramiden finds itself under the direct administration of Russia while still under Norway’s sovereignty it has become a symbol of the rising political divide between the two nations. As such, this proposal aims to utilise the site’s murky political status shifting it from a symbol of rivalry to one of peaceful coexistence through the mutual pursuit of scientific inquiry. Tutor(s)