It is not certain that it will be perceived as such. A lot of effort will be made to ensure the research centre blends in with the Skåne countryside. A large part of the area will consist of open spaces. Trees will be planted and a parklike area created with footpaths and expanses of water.
All the buildings in the area – experiment laboratories, guest accommodation, offices, visitors centre – will be designed by architects with the aim of creating a world-class research centre, which at the same time tunes in with the landscape.
It is not only about ESS adapting to the surrounding environment, but also creating an attractive workplace for employees and guest researchers.
Today, large-scale research facilities need not look like gigantic industrial complexes. An interesting example is the large American Oak Ridge facility, where ESS’s sister facility, SNS, has been built. Work is in progress there to change the physical lay-out, solely for the purpose of creating an attractive campus-like area with parks, open piazzas and footpaths.