Halley VI and other Antarctic research stations – in pictures

The British Antarctic Survey's new research centre, Halley VI, by architects Hugh Broughton. A line of four-legged pods, seven blue and one red, it stands on ice that is moving at a rate of 400 metres a year and will one day break off and float away, so it's designed to be dismantled and relocated when necessary. It can also be regularly raised, to keep it above the perpetual buildup of snow Photograph: PR

Halley VI covered in ice Photograph: Ant Dubber

Bubble-like windows in the Halley VI pods allow people to immerse themselves in the astonishing aurora australis. Photograph: Sam Burrell

A Halley VI crew member. There are 16 people posted at Halley VI in winter, and now – in summer – 71 men and two women, one of whom is the base commander. The crew lives in absolute isolation, and during winter the lack of sunlight can lead to 'nightwalking', where people get up and go to sleep at times out of step with the hours on the clock. Cedar panelling is used inside for its scent, to mitigate sensory deprivation Photograph: British Antarctic Survey

Halley VI night view. The structure's different pieces were as much as possible standardised and prefabricated, some in South Africa and some in Hull, to minimise the amount of building work in the Antarctic. They were transported in units no heavier than nine tonnes, to avoid breaking through the sea ice across which they'd have to be dragged Photograph: Sam Burrell

Halley VI at night. The red pod contains the social areas, including a bar, lounges and places to play pool, and a cathedral-like window to let in sunshine during summer months Photograph: Ant Dubber

One of the motivations for building Halley VI is that the station it replaces – Halley V – was being progressively engulfed by snow, as were four previous stations built in Antarctica since 1956. This is Halley IV, whose designers approached the problem by building a structure that could be covered by snowdrifts and still function. The problems were that its interiors had no light, its shape deformed under the weight of snow, and inhabitants had to live with the sound of ice cracking overhead. It was eventually completely engulfed and abandoned in 1992 Photograph: Public Domain

Other research stations in the Antarctic include Princess Elisabeth station, opened in 2009. This Belgian centre is for summer use only. Faced with a slightly less daunting set of demands than year-round bases, it achieves a certain elegance, incongruously reminiscent of the villas that the visionary architect John Lautner built around Los Angeles in the 1960s. It also aims to be carbon-free, using solar and wind power and careful control of energy use Photograph: International Polar Foundation

Princess Elisabeth station Photograph: International Polar Foundation

Aerial view of Princess Elisabeth station Photograph: International Polar Foundation

Concordia polar research station, which opened in 2005. Many bases are on the edge of the continent. The Franco-Italian Concordia is inland, more than 3,000 metres above sea level, in a place without wildlife, apart from passing skuas. Its drum-like shapes are designed to be as efficient as possible in retaining heat. The European Space Agency has studied the effects on inhabitants of extreme isolation here, to see how astronauts could cope with long space missions Photograph: Public Domain

Ernest Shackleton's 1908 Nimrod expedition hut at Cape Royds. In 2008 the hut was fully restored to the condition in which Shackleton's crew left it Photograph: Aurora Photos/Alamy

Interior of Ernest Shackleton's hut Photograph: Nigel McCall /Alamy