WELCOME TO JODRELL BANK.
Home of the SKAO Global Headquarters, Jodrell Bank Observatory, the Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
THE VENUE
CONCEPT
The SKAO GHQ was designed to embody one of the most innovative science research organisations in the world. An inspirational building that reflects the science and vision behind the SKA project and that fosters a culture of collaboration and communication. The unique character and history of Jodrell Bank presented an opportunity to create an inspirational workplace for the SKAO.
Whilst acknowledging and celebrating the physical and historical context of the place, the building aims to create its own distinctive identity and unique architecture that represents the SKA and the science behind the project. The design takes inspiration from the radio waves that are at the heart of the SKA’s work while embracing its natural environment, playing on the contrast between the cutting edge science taking place within the building and the rural life taking place around it.
FACILITIES
Equipped with a 10Gbit/s connection to the national research network, the 4,200m2 SKAO GHQ includes a dozen meeting rooms equipped with state-of-the-art videoconferencing.
With a 40% target reduction in water consumption, 25% of construction materials from recycled or reused content, electric vehicle charging points as well as dark-sky compliant lighting and a highly efficient heat pump system, the building also exceeds sustainable requirements, achieving a very good BREEAM rating.
AUDITORIUM
The SKAO's Council Chamber - where representatives of the SKAO's Member States meet - doubles up as a 150-seat auditorium for scientific conferences and public talks.
FUNDERS
The UK plan to host the SKAO GHQ was backed by the UK government via UK Research & Innovation’s Science and Technology Facilities Council, the University of Manchester and Cheshire East Council, as well as Oxford and Cambridge Universities, to design and construct a unique campus for one of the most inspirational science projects of the 21st Century.
The £16.5 million new SKAO GHQ was funded by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (£9.8M) via UKRI, the University of Manchester (£5.7M) and Cheshire East Council (£1M).
the wider sitE
The SKAO GHQ shares a common site with the University of Manchester’s existing Jodrell Bank Observatory and Centre for Engagement. Jodrell Bank Observatory – part of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics under University of Manchester’s School of Physics & Astronomy – is a working scientific facility and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It operates the Grade-I listed 76-metre Lovell Telescope (jointly funded by the University of Manchester & STFC) – the third largest steerable radio telescope in the world – and a distributed network of six additional radio telescopes that form the UK’s e-MERLIN Radio Astronomy National Facility. e-MERLIN also regularly operates as part of the renowned European VLBI Network (EVN). The historical observatory was initially established in 1945 by Sir Bernard Lovell to investigate cosmic rays after his work on radar during the Second World War. It has since played an important role in a number of fields, including the study of meteors, quasars, pulsars, masers and gravitational lenses, and was heavily involved with the tracking of space probes at the start of the Space Age. As such, Jodrell Bank has been a leader in radio astronomy for over 70 years.
The Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement is responsible for public access to and engagement with both the science and heritage of Jodrell Bank. It is a renowned national and global leader in engaging the public with science and has a central focus on ‘inspiring the scientists of the future’ – which represents the start of the pipeline for skills in STEM. The Centre currently attracts around 165,000 visitors each year, including 22,000 school pupils on educational visits, and has ambitious plans for expansion supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.