Despite the dilapidation of most historic buildings in Svalbard, this one is unique. Built by a fortune-seeking Australian in the early years of last century, it is the only two storey building of its kind in the frozen archipelago.
Not only does the failing structure typify the ambitiousness of so many who came to this polar wilderness, but it is a building that bears the scars of climate change. About a third of the way along its length, its spine has been broken. Every board that traverses that vertical has been split by shifting ground.
During summer months, the permafrost has begun to thaw. Melting ice has pushed up bubbles of earth, lifting the house from its stable base. The evidence of this expansion is clear in the large, hexagonal patterns that make the surrounding earth look like a giant beehive.
It is too dangerous to get any closer to the building. It is too dangerous to do anything but circle it from a distance and take photos under the low-ceilinged sky. Is it too dangerous to ignore the unspoken warning of an island adapting to its new seasonality?
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