One of the biggest challenges in educating people on climate change is that, since it occurs over decades and centuries, it isn't readily visible; that is, until the opening of the Ilulisat Icefjord Centre in Greenland's portion of the Arctic Circle. The Icefjord Centre serves as both a research outpost for climate change scientists and a visitors' center for intrepid, eco-conscious tourists.
Danish studio Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter designed the Icefjord Centre with the aim of providing a panoramic view of the rugged glacial landscape without having the building itself obstruct Ilulisat's natural beauty. To fulfill that goal, Dorte Mandrup implemented wood decks and sharply angled, low-profile lines that subtly rise from the ground.
The views at the Icefjord Centre are undeniably beautiful, yet tragic; people can now literally watch as climate change takes it toll on the glaciers beyond.
What's Driving This Trend
- Climate Change Education Through Scenic Attractions
- Developing scenic attractions that allow people to see climate change in action can help in educating people about climate change.
- Designing Eco-friendly Architecture for Research Centers and Tourism Industry
- Architects could adopt green building technologies and sustainable design principles in designing research centers and tourism industry-related establishments.
- Sustainable Tourism for Climate Education
- Promoting tourism to environmentally conscious travelers or developing tourism that promotes climate change education could be a sustainable and disruptive innovation opportunity for the tourism industry.
Who This Affects Most
- Tourism Industry
- The tourism industry could benefit from promoting eco-tourism destinations and sustainable tourism offerings.
- Architecture and Design Industry
- The architecture and design industry could build sustainable research centers that minimize the impact on the environment and align with green building principles.
- Climate Science Research Industry
- The climate science research industry could collaborate with architects to create research centers that align with sustainability goals.
