CELLS synchrotron light laboratory
Ideas Competition: Cerdanyola del Vallès, near Barcelona Spain

Cells, Consortium for the construction, equipment and operation of the Synchrotron Light Laboratory, is an innovative technological project and the first of its kind in Spain. The site, located near Barcelona, has a surface of 40.000m², with Alba- the synchrotron light laboratory- being the main component.

ALBA is a circular-shaped machine, called a synchrotron, that uses arrays of magnets, called insertion devices to generate bright beams of synchrotron light.

Around the machine there are a collection of experimental research laboratories, called beamlines. At each beamline, scientists independantly use the light generated by the machine for a wide variety of experiments.

The ALBA team currently consists of 60 dedicated engineers, scientists, support staff and technicians. Eventually ALBA will grow to more than 100 staff and will welcome scientific users from all over the world.

This project was a collaboration between POD DESIGN+MEDIA LLC and M.W. Zander.