The hangar dedicated to the trials and testing of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and autonomous vehicles, along with a laboratory and research facility for AEROSPACELAB, is being built at Kąkolewo Airport (EPPG) as part of the "Aerosfera: Airport of Things" project. This initiative is co-financed by the Wielkopolska Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020.

The project is being executed under a "design and build" model by general contractor INFRACON, selected through a tender process commissioned by the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center (PCSS). The project design was created by the architectural firm Wojciech Kolesiński (PPWK Architekci).

According to the project schedule, the facility will be handed over for operation and use by PCSS in December 2022.

The PCSS hangar will be the tallest structure at the airport, with a height of approximately 14.4 meters at the roof ridge. Covering an area of over 1,800 square meters, the building will include a hall for UAV operations, a laboratory-research space with laboratory, office, social, technical, and storage rooms, occupying about 400 square meters. Additionally, there will be mezzanines (about 200 square meters) and observation rooms, bringing the total usable space to approximately 1,950 square meters. The hall will offer an operational height of 10.5 meters, providing ample space for flight experiments with UAVs and autonomous vehicles. The laboratory area will be located on the northern (technical) and eastern (laboratory) sides of the building. The hangar will feature two gates: a delivery gate on the north side and a three-section gate on the south side, measuring 16 meters by 5.5 meters, designed to accommodate and service large UAV platforms and small airplanes.

The building is being constructed using reinforced concrete columns with steel roof beams and a cladding of insulated sandwich panels. The laboratory and office space will be constructed with masonry technology, including hollow-core ceilings. The walls and roof of the hangar will be thermally insulated, ensuring a comfortable working environment throughout the year. The roof will also house a photovoltaic installation with a capacity of up to 50 kWp and an antenna mast equipped with a 5G network node.

The investment cost is nearly PLN 6.8 million (net).

Fingers crossed for the contractors and the timely completion of this project!