Vogar Farmland
Iceland’s unique landscape consists of a multitude of breathtaking natural forces.
Vogar farmland stands for its special location at the continental divide between Europe and America. Surrounded by burnt-out lava the Grjotagja has been formed over thousands of years. In the middle of an incredible scenery, the caves with their hot geothermal pools invite the visitors to take a break and slow down from their hiking adventures.
Grjótagjá
The two caves, Karlagjá and Kvennagjá offer unusual insights into the depths of mother earth and allow us to get into the field of geology.
While discovering the partly dangerous caves, extraordinary spatial atmospheres can be experienced. The main goal is to transfer the identity of the caves into architecture.
Concept
The design proposal is directly related to the cave and transformed the existing topography into a monolith sculpture that has arisen of the inspiring rocky nature.
The building structure was shaped by different local natural impacts. The Klamm (gorge) was born. it serves as both a landmark and a shelter.
By subtractively removing the building mass we created exciting spatial sequences which play with the interaction of inside and outside, narrow and wide as well as with light and shadow.
Via a small, hidden entry the visitor’s path leads across the terrain into the void of theup to the edge of the gorge. The new level functions as a waiting area with a café before entering the monolith diving into the architectural abstraction.
Before ending at the stunning 360° viewing platform the visitor can rest and explore different spatial spaces.
