The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a secure seed bank located in Spitsbergen, near Longyearbyen.
Conservationist Cary Fowler, in cooperation with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, founded the vault. This was done to preserve a variety of plant seeds that are duplicate samples, or copies, of seeds held in gene banks around the world.
The vault’s goal is to ensure that even during large-scale regional or global crises, the loss of seeds does not cause a permanent extinction.
Each seed sample consists of approximately 500 seeds sealed in an airtight aluminium bag and the facility has a storage capacity of 4.5 million seed samples.
As it’s a restricted area you can’t enter the vault itself, but you can visit the building’s exterior and admire its unusual architecture. The building juts out from the hillside, creating a striking profile.
View Svalbard
