Breaking ground: The future of the AO's Science Circle in Davos

Today, the sun shone down on the building site where the AO’s Science Circle will rise over the next two years in Davos, Switzerland. Representatives gathered from the AO’s leadership, Gemeinde Davos, and architecture firm Architektur 41; they put on hard hats, and, with shovels in hand, they took the first ceremonial scoops of earth to break ground on this significant building project.

Science Circle will be the beating heart of the AO’s research and innovation in the future. AO President Tim Pohlemann took part in the event and remarked: “Breaking ground today marks an important step for the AO, Davos, and the Canton of Graubünden, as it sets in motion our organization’s continued evolution. By concentrating the AO in Davos, we are extending our commitment to the region and the city while modernizing our research capacity for the future.”

Vice Director of the AO Research Institute Davos (ARI) Martin Stoddart underscored the significance of this project for ARI: “The new Science Circle brings the AO state-of-the-art laboratory facilities capable of performing cutting-edge research, both today and into the future.” Pohlemann noted that Science Circle “is a new space for free, independent thinking and engagement, and that’s what we want to provide—a protected space for new thoughts and ideas, which is more important now than ever.”

 

AO Campus Steering Committee (from left to right): Geoff Richards, Martin Stoddart, Irene Eigenmann Timmings, Claas Albers, and Sanna Virtanen-Frey
AO Campus Steering Committee with Yanik Stiffler in center

 

Science Circle: Embedded within the AO Campus project 

The Science Circle construction involves substantial resources: 260 pillars totaling 6,800 meters, 3,400 cubic meters of concrete, 380 tons of steel, 625 cubic meters of construction timber, and 3,200 square meters of waterproofing membrane.

The final building height is expected to be achieved in the fall of 2026, and the building will be inaugurated in the summer of 2027. The ring-shaped Science Circle will be the beating heart of the AO’s research and innovation in the future. In addition to state-of-the-art laboratories, the new building will house offices for researchers and a spacious auditorium. The Science Circle is an integral part of the AO Campus project, which aims to offer modern, sustainable, and flexible workplace and research facilities for all of the AO’s employees.

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