First established in 1982 the research station was a joint effort by the American and Norwegian governments. It stands on the western half of the island separated from the town by the mountain. It is made up of five separate buildings of varying sizes, each containing different facilities needed by the staff who lived and worked on the base. It also included a set of tunnels to connect the buildings so that it would not be necessary for anyone to travel above ground during the cold winter months. Long since abandoned following a cut in funding, the base has spent its years being covered and uncovered by layers of snow. The buildings themselves have remained in good condition, thanks to their construction from precast concrete on steel frames with facades made out of composite insulated metal panels.