The wedge-shaped concrete entrance jutting from the mountainside at Platåberget is one of the most recognisable buildings in the world and one of the few genuinely important structures of the twenty-first century. Buried 130 metres into the rock, the vault holds more than 1.3 million seed samples — duplicates of collections held by gene banks across the world, kept here as an insurance policy against war, natural disaster, or institutional collapse.
The interior is not open to the public, but the exterior and the short path up to it are freely accessible. The LED artwork in the entrance glows blue-green in the dark months, visible from the road below. Most visitors take a taxi or walk the 4 kilometres from town; the surrounding mountain scenery is spectacular.