Reconstructing the Glacier: A Climate-Responsive Freshwater Landscape

In 100 years, half of the world’s glaciers may disappear, leading to severe freshwater shortages and increasing imbalance in water distribution. Glaciers, often called “water towers,” store freshwater, regulate droughts and floods, and support both hydropower and the livelihoods of mountain communities. In Sichuan’s Hailuogou Glacier, now more accessible due to expanding infrastructure, tourists can witness stunning ice caves and frozen waterfalls, yet struggle to perceive the glacier’s alarming retreat—20 meters each year. This design proposes a climate-adaptive water landscape by introducing a series of strategies—blanket, soft dam, artificial glaciers along various critical locations of the glacial watershed. Artificial glaciers store winter meltwater and release it gradually in warmer months, addressing both energy needs and water regulation. Positioned within the Hailuogou landscape, they reframe glaciers as both functional infrastructure and public spectacle—merging ecological response, cultural symbolism, and visual imagination in the face of climate change.