It appeared a few days in the center of the English town of Bath, right in the middle of the Avon River near the Pulteney Bridge, Sinking House, an installation created by the architecture firm Stride Treglown. 

Sinking House is a small wooden house painted red that seems to sink into the river. Sitting on the roof is a human figure who is trying to save the house from almost certain destruction by tugging on a rope tied to the bridge. On this rope we can see an unmistakable white writing on red signs: COP26. 

The architects of Stride Treglown wanted to create a work that addresses the issue of climate change and the danger we run just a few days before COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12. 

There are many hopes placed in this appointment. In fact, the participating States will have to renew the commitments made with the Paris Agreement and set new goals to combat climate change. 

Sinking House couldn’t better represent the dangers we face. Never as in recent years we have experienced the first concrete effects of climate change and a small red house that sinks is not so far from reality. In our own small way we need only remember the images of high water flooding Venice or the most recent videos of Catania completely submerged. 

Moreover, the choice of the color red was not accidental: Sinking House in fact recalls the houses and hotels of Monopoly. The Stride Treglown studio wanted in this way to underline how often states have taken decisions only thinking about economic aspects. 

As for the installation, COP26 may be our last hope.