Located at the southernmost tip of South America, a new research centre promoting sustainable tourism will be designed by Ennead Architects.

The New York-based studio will work with Chilean architects Cristian Sanhueza and Cristian Ostertag to create the Cape Horn Sub-Antarctic Center, having won the commission from the Chilean Regional Government following a public competition.

It will be located within the UNESCO Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve in Puerto Williams, a town on Navarino Island, Chile.

The centre will comprise three pavilions, of which one will be devoted to housing educational spaces for sustainable tourism and biocultural conservation, including classrooms, a library and study areas.

A second pavilion will feature exhibition space, research and laboratory facilities for transdisciplinary research and two apartments for visiting researchers, while the third will contain a multipurpose lecture hall, café and offices.

The centre is sited along a primary axis oriented for optimum solar exposure and protection from the harsh temperate rainforest climate. Each pavilion is connected by a continuous, transparent public hall which provides access to outdoor classroom environments and offers views of natural wonders such as the Beagle Channel, the Darwin mountain range and Tierra del Fuego.

Ennead’s design aims to integrate with the local landscape “while providing a sense of permanence and minimal maintenance over its life-cycle”. The project will also look at a number of renewable energy strategies to supply not only the centre but the wider community in Puerto Williams.

Construction is scheduled to conclude in 2017.