Moving Day! An almost ordinary Monday

Knowing that over the past year every ITER employee has accumulated an average of two cubic metres of files, folders, notebooks, brochures, pencils, computer spare parts and personal belongings, how long would it take to move 120 of them from Building 519 to the new Headquarters?

Alain Le Bris, the Safety and Security Supervisor for ITER buildings, and his two "logistics men" Éric Benoît and Nicolas Pons had made some rough calculations: doing it in one weekend would require some coordination—and energy.

As early as 7 o'clock on Saturday morning, the three men were on deck, along with seven men from the local removing company "Manosque Déménagement." Christine Chantoin, assistant to the Director-General, Sylvain Duparchy, and Stéphane Marco—both Security Officers—were also on hand to move Director-General Ikeda's office.

Several years ago, CEA had built a "security gate" at the back of what are now buildings 525 A, B and C. This "Porte de la Verrerie," which CEA accepted to open for the weekend, came in handy. "It saved us some eight kilometres per every round trip," says Alain Lebris. "And round trips, we did a certain number over the week-end ..."

While trucks were going back and forth through the gate, the personnel of the computer specialists "Osiatis" was busy re-plugging computers and telephones in the new building. On Monday morning, when everyone was back to work, mission was accomplished. "Well, not quite," says Lebris. "We still had to move about 10 people, which we did between 7 and 10 o' clock..."

The Director-General wanted the operation to be "transparent," and transparent it was. After some time spent comparing office sizes, window views, as well as distances to the printers and coffee machines, work could resume as on any ordinary Monday.

To view many more photos of the move, click here.