All those of you who have visited IRAM recently must have noticed that in addition to installing four temporary offices in the library, we have given up the small seminar room in order to accomodate our new Ph.D. students, and we have even closed part of the corridor on the first floor to install one of our laboratories there.
These rather drastic measures became necessary after our plans for a building extension got stuck for almost a year in the local administration. Finally now, on December 15th, we obtained the official permit and construction work has started. The building extension will provide on the ground floor new laboratory space, about 100 m2, and office space directly connected to the lab, as well as new offices for astronomers on the first floor, including two for visiting astronomers.
After all the delays it seems difficult to quote a target date but early fall should be a good estimate.
Michael GREWING