Form Follows Beam

The Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) accelerator centre, currently under construction at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, will be one of the largest research facilities in the world. The underground double-ring facility has a circumference of 1.1 kilometres and comprises 14 adjoining research buildings. In future, ions will be accelerated here to near the speed of light in order to investigate fundamental questions about the structure of the universe – ‘what holds the world together at its very core’.

To tackle the task of planning a project of this magnitude, the two firms DGI Bauwerk and schneider+schumacher have joined forces to form the consortium ion42 – whose name combines the word ‘ion’ (a charged particle) with the number 42, which, in Douglas Adams’ cult classic *The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy*, is the answer to the ‘ultimate question of life, the universe and everything’.

The exhibition illustrates the complexity of the planning and construction process – which has now spanned more than 18 years – through plans, texts and models. This information is complemented by photographs by Kirsten Bucher and Norbert Miguletz, who have been documenting the extraordinary scale of the building site and its progress on a monthly basis for years. This material, together with further texts and explanations, forms the content of the book *Form Follows Beam*, published by Park Books to mark the occasion. It not only highlights the challenges of the project but also brings into sharp focus the central role of architectural design, which often remains hidden in buildings characterised by such technical requirements. In this sense, the exhibition and the book stand as an impressive testament to the successful work carried out at the intersections of architecture and infrastructure, and architecture and science.

Further information:

ion42 / DGI Bauwerk • schneider+schumacher