AL_A has been granted permission to construct the world’s first magnetized fusion power plant. The Culham Science Centre facility, to be located in Oxford, UK, is anchored by a 125-foot-tall cylindrical fusion hall wrapped in a translucent facade.

The scheme was first unveiled in August 2021, commissioned by the Canadian energy company General Fusion in collaboration with the UK Atomic Energy Authority. 

Unlike traditional nuclear fission stations, which generate energy by splitting atoms, the fusion process involves merging two atoms to generate vast amounts of energy without the highly radioactive waste associated with nuclear fission. Last month, US scientists announced a major breakthrough in the process through a fusion experiment that released more energy than was inputted by the lab’s equipment.

For AL_A’s plant, the central cylindrical fusion hall is surrounded by a radial arrangement of support systems, all of which are equidistant from the core. In our 2021 feature article on energy infrastructure, which included an interview with the design team behind the scheme, AL_A director Maximiliano Arrocet explained how the plant’s design process was driven by transparency.

“This is a safe, clean technology that will change energy generation as we know it,” Arrocet told us. “A big motivation for us was to showcase what's happening inside — the concentric plan draws you into the core, the heart of the facility.”

The plant’s emphasis on transparent materials is also a response to its setting in Oxfordshire’s picturesque rural landscape. “We wanted the building to set up a reciprocal relationship between science and nature,” Arrocet continued. “On entering the building, you have views of the technology and the landscape.”

Construction on the scheme is expected to begin this summer, with the plant fully operational by early 2027. You can learn more about the scheme by reading our full interview with AL_A about the plant’s design here.

News of the plant’s approval comes months after AL_A was selected to design the new Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall. The firm was also recently honored at the 2022 International Architecture Awards, with the Maggie’s Southampton project included in the Healthcare/Hospitals category.