Conservation of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova Hut at Cape Evans, Antarctica

M&L is pleased to announce that it has been appointed by the New Zealand based Antarctic Heritage Trust to lead the building conservation effort at Cape Evans, in the Ross Sea of Antarctica. The hut at Cape Evans is the largest and by far the most complex of the historic buildings dating from the 'Heroic Age of Exploration' and is home to over 15,000 unique artifacts dating from the heroic era.
Location Antarctica
Completed 2003
M&L Value $30M
Architect Pip Cheshire Architects, NZ
Engineer Opus International, NZ

M&L is pleased to announce that it has been appointed by the New Zealand based Antarctic Heritage Trust to lead the building conservation effort at Cape Evans, in the Ross Sea of Antarctica. The 2160 ft sq building was erected by members of the British Antarctic Expedition 1910-1913. It was from this expedition base that Captain Robert Falcon Scott launched his fateful race against Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen to be the first to reach the geographic South Pole. The hut at Cape Evans is the largest and by far the most complex of the historic buildings dating from the 'Heroic Age of Exploration' and is home to over 15,000 unique artifacts dating from the heroic era. In 2007, it was listed by the World Monuments Fund as one of the world's 100 most at risk architectural treasures:

Scott's Hut at Cape Evans is in imminent danger as a result of unprecedented snow and ice building up at the site - thought to be a result of changing climactic conditions in Antarctica - with up to 100 tons of snow accumulating on the hut in a few short months.

For several years now M&L has been working with the AHT and their international team of consultants to develop a comprehensive strategy for the conservation and repair of this iconic building. Gordon has been leading the on-ice component of this work, and has helped to gather detailed information about the historic building fabric...and some fascinating insights into the lives of the 31 men who made this place their home.

On January 4, 1912, Scott and his four companions Dr. Edward Wilson, Capt Lawrence Oates, Henry (Birdie) Bowers and Petty Officer Edgar Evans completed their 1766-mile journey and reached the South Pole. When they arrived, they learned that their Norwegian rival had beaten them to the prize by just 3 weeks. On the return leg of the journey the team encountered desperate weather conditions and extreme cold: the final man succumbed to exhaustion, starvation and exposure at the end of March. The final entries in Scott's journal read:

Had we lived I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale...We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker of course and the end cannot be far. It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. For God's sake, look after our people.

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