#19: Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault looks like a concrete doorway into the end of the world, which is not far from the idea. Built into Arctic permafrost, it stores duplicate seed samples from genebanks around the globe as insurance against crop loss, war, disaster, and institutional failure. The public can view it virtually, but only authorized personnel enter the vault itself. It is one of the planet’s most hopeful locked rooms: a freezer full of future harvests.
