Architecture & Spectacle — The Future Circular Collider of CERN

Current technological advancements are leaving behind a physical imprint that has the opportunity to carry with it evidence of humanity’s great achievements. The progression of technology is currently increasing exponentially, as seen in the progressive discoveries CERN has made over the past sixty years. There is now an opportunity for the next leaps in human knowledge to be materialized through an architecture that is long lasting.

Stonehenge — Amesbury, Salisbury 3100/2500 BC

Often times we forget to remember how cultures and religions coexist. It is not that we forget to acknowledge the ambitions of different philosophies. But when it comes to plenitude, there emerges a responsibility to share this abundance of knowledge with the world. In order to survive, one must rely upon individual  strength and wit and be able to pool the resources necessary to ensure their livelihood. However, when looking beyond survival towards the prospects of a thriving life one finds that dependency and meaningful collaboration are key factors to abundance and strength. Although many may argue for competitive global markets, but I am solely interested in the conversation regarding global collaboration in order to build a stronger world culture.

Currently, one of these important discussions, regarding the topic of collaboration, emerges at CERN located in Geneva, Switzerland. At CERN there is a common interest always at play, one in which many scientists from different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds are brought alongside each other in hopes to discover something together in a cumulative effort. This ambition is common among the scientist because their sole interest is to reveal the unknown questions of the universe, whether they contradict or vitalize our previous understanding of nature. This movement is not led by romantic ruminations of the possible worlds or dimensions yet to be discovered, rather these scientists are driven by a consistent model of discoveries made over the past sixty years, always projecting upward. To some extent this pragmatic mentality to continue the vast search through the universe makes sense, yet we have reached a necessary paradigm shift, one in which the scientific method can no longer function independent of world pedagogy. At this point in time it is critical to work together, collaborating at a level that projects a universal image of discovery and innovation.

It is clear to those who work at CERN that the work they are doing to is an invaluable contribution to a universal discovery of knowledge. Unfortunately, most of the world continues to look inward at individual interests and how others could any small way disrupt this personal right to happiness and livelihood. The new Future Circular Collider is  currently in its preliminary stages of design, and will continue to be so for several years. This new project is the testing ground for three very important topics: the first is projecting an image of collaboration to the world that generates global interest and support. Second, the new FCC should always feel like a collaboration in search of knowledge for the world. Lastly, there needs to be a new campus, one that is physically dense, so that physical proximity can influence real collaboration.

Speculative design for the new FCC campus