The Center for Glaciology is diploma project by Matthias Sütterlin. The design aims to provide the visitors with the real happening in the eternal ice. Glaciers polarize – they tell stories of ancient times. They form landscapes, characterize and change them, for their age only they‘re already very special and fascinating. Thousands of tourists come to the cold alpine mountains annually to visit the glaciers and one things is obvious – that nothing is made to be forever. Since middle of the 19th century a worldwide glacier decrease is observable. This process is called „glacier melt“ and has nothing to do with the usual and typical annual glacier melt in mountains and high positioned areas during springtime.
The melting of glaciers comes with the consequences – it increases the sea level and causes the water shortage, as they are main reservoirs of sweet water in numerous cities. The melting also causes glacier lake outburst floods, serious consequences of the global warming directly related to glacier melt. The great majority of all glaciers worldwide lost a large part of its masses in last decades.
Because climate and environmental protection takes mainly place at political and scientifically level, the Center for Glaciology provides a space for education, discussion and direct experiences. This particular center also offers the visitors an impression of the beauty and fascination of glaciers, while taking concrete comments on current and future climate conditions.
The building is not acting only as cover and space for exhibition, but also as place for sharing the knowledge, therefore the visitors have the opportunity to virtually experience the risks and dangers which come with the climate change.
