A Vital Spotlight on Disko Bay, Greenland

The Ilulissat Icefjord at Disko Bay isn't just any fjord. It's listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is home to one of the fastest-moving glaciers in the world. The icebergs calved by Sermeq Kujalleq are often the size of skyscrapers—and it's quite possible that it was one of these that sank the Titanic.

Sermeq Kujalleq has also been retreating at an alarming rate. But why does this matter? A newly-built Ilulissat Icefjord Centre is here to answer exactly that— while combining beauty and brains.

Cantilevering over an inland lake, the boomerang-shaped Ilulissat Icefjord Centre is a sight to behold. Designed by the Copenhagen-based architect Dorte Mandrup, who compared it to a snowy owl with outstretched wings, it was commissioned by the Government of Greenland, Qaasuitsup Kommunia & Realdania.

Constructed from 80 percent recycled steel and finished in European oak, its shape and position prevent snow drifts from piling up under harsh western winds. In the exhibition space, a permanent multimedia installation highlights the history and anthropology of the frozen world outside.

Until now, Greenland has remained largely unknown to all but a few adventurous travelers. However as David Attenborough once said, “no one will protect what they don't care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced.”

The center is the first of six to be built to support tourism in the area and since its opening last July, its acted as an exhibition space, observation post, and meet-up spot for locals. It will also accommodate climate scientists, and there’s even a classroom for schoolchildren.

Just let us know, and we'll make it happen.

All images of the Ice Centre by photographer Adam Mørk.