Location: Hverfjall, Iceland
Date: 2019
Category: Cultural 

About this Project:

• Scope: Design Competition

• Galleries: 410 m2

• Total Enclosed Area: 1,548 m2

• Rendering: Kink Studios 

The local culture in the world-renowned landscape of the Hverfjall Volcano is propelled by year-round immersion in outdoor activities. The design team recognized this as an as an opportunity to channel a memorable and remarkable visitor experience through the otherworldly natural beauty of the site. The notion of discovery, fundamental to the experience of the environment, motivated a hidden design. The minimized physical and visual impact of the building lets the landscape continue to dominate the eye and imagination.

The anatomy of the Hverfjall Volcano became the metaphor for the parti of the museum design. Much like a magma chamber, the Iceland Volcano Museum galleries are all below grade. The galleries connect to the entry pavilion, one of the above-ground design features, through a long, narrow, sloping path—inspired by the volcano’s central vent. The form of the amenity spaces, including the museum cafe, merges with the ground, mimicking lava flow.

By submerging most of the museum, not only is the pristine integrity of the place upheld, the architecture conserves energy. Likewise, the site, zoned to minimize the impact of cars and busses, continues to be an experience dominated by panoramic views of the Hverfjall Volcano for people on foot.

The Volcano Museum is organized into three clusters. The entry pavilion is a freestanding building easily reached by a pedestrian path from the parking lot. The galleries and gallery support spaces (all located below the earth surface) make up the second cluster. The restaurant and cafe, a third cluster built into the topography, sits into the site and has both panoramic views of the volcano and a direct connection to the galleries below.

The circulation of the Volcano Museum begins with the entry pavilion that includes a bookstore and serves as an orientation space. The entry courtyard, carved out of the earth, is reached by a long path that descends from the entry pavilion and cuts through the natural geology along the way. A reception lobby and the first galleries are located at the bottom of the ramp. Another level of galleries is reached by continuing down an internal ramp that wraps both the upper and lower galleries. Both sets of galleries, with limited natural light and no views, are highly controlled environments. They are uniquely shaped in both plan and section as iconic spaces that reflect local identity and share regional content with worldwide visitors.

The restaurant, at the end of the route, is characterized by a large window that frames a view of the Hverfjall Volcano. Just outside and surrounding the restaurant is an artificial lake that recalls existing local lakes and is part of a system used to provide energy. The Iceland Volcano Museum respects Iceland’s renewable energy ambitions; it employs both passive design features and mechanical systems that rely on geothermal and solar supply.

The exterior cladding for the above ground pavilions will be a local stone with a semi rugged texture cut into multiple shapes and sizes. All materials will be antiglare to minimize their impact on the surroundings. The walls and glazing will be thermally insulated to keep out the cold in the winter and the heat in the summer. The exterior walls below grade will be constructed of concrete and masonry. The primary building materials will be sourced locally and assembled by local craftsman using familiar building technics. The planted roofs will use native plants so they are eco friendly, provide thermal insulation to the spaces below and blend into the surroundings.