HVERJFALL: The Loop
The sacred geometry of the circular trail around Hverfjall crater has a mystical quality. Walking around it urges you to think about the intensity of forces beneath the quiet surface that resulted in the formation of the landform.
The proposed design extends this sacred quality by inviting you through a looped path that creates an infinite movement path around the crater. The internal pathway frames views of the crater, Myvatn lake and lava fields of Dimmuborgir, where you can read about their history.
The structure is designed as a space to pause and experience the landscape. A central staircase leads to a roof deck that provides a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. On the ground level, benches are provided along the edge of the building which provide a very intimate experience different from that on the deck.
INSPIRATION
CONSTRUCTION
Accessing the site via non motorable roads presents a challenge to transport building materials & construction equipment and gain access to resources like water and electricity required for construction. Air transportation is also faced with challenges due to the restricted space available and the sensitive nature of the landform. Being a protected site, the proposed architecture aims at creating minimal impact during transport and construction. A light weight framework of metal pipes is used to form the shell, which can be easily assembled on site.
The space frame structure is anchored to a multipoint foundation consisting of steel pipes and triodetic nodes. The foundation is installed without any levelling or excavation as not all support points need to be bearing on the soil. The foundation is anchored to the ground with pins to eliminate the possibility of overturning.
Location : Hverjall Volcano Typology : Cultural Year of completion : NA Status : Concept Client : Iceland tourism Size : 860 sqft Design Team : Solachi Ramanathan, Ajay Dev, Vijayaraj R
