This conceptual project emphasizes a current issue: the global warming-induced rise in sea level. This structure is located near London’s Thames Barrier. This site was purposely chosen : the role of this mechanical barrier is to protect the city of a rise in the water level in case of a storm, along th same principles as Venice’s sea wall (Moses) currently under construction. But in a near future this protection will become obsolete in the face of the global rise in sea levels. This artificial iceberg holds a pedestrian promenade, an exposition space, an amphitheater and a research center dedicated to environmental sciences. With variations in tides this structure is regularly flooded. Part of the pedestrian area and the amphitheater are temporarily submerged. This would emphasize the sense of urgency during a conference, for example, as participants would clearly be able to visualize the rise in water levels and have the conference itself be directly affected by it.
From a technical standpoint, this structure takes the form of a metal fence which each houses a tube with liquid nitrogen allowing for the glaciation of the nearby water during high tides or rainshowers. This ice then melts during low tides, revealing the structure again. These phases occur on a 12-hour time schedule corresponding to the high/low tide sequence. This project aims at raising awareness among Londoners of the urgency of environmental degradation through a strong and experiential local event, to express a larger problem. At a time when experience trumps imagery, it is crucial to provide not just the representation of a problem, but its concrete, tangible expression.
