Icelandic Ski Lodge

Located in the valley below the Krafla Caldera, the project will house facilities for skiers and hikers to find shelter and rest in warmth and comfort. It is a building for all seasons and will become the recognised home for outdoors adventure activities in the region. 

The design is an embodiment of Iceland, and particularly the Mývatn region. Extensive analysis of the site and characteristics of the natural form, texture and landscape have informed the design to ensure the emergent proposals are entirely and seamlessly integrated with the natural surroundings. 

Iceland is a place truly represented by contrast. Perhaps, this is its most prevalent and observable characteristic. It is seen from distance as the violence of the Ocean meets the serenity of low-lying grasslands of brown and green plants. It is seen as the rugged mountains, formed by volcanic power, push through these lush lowlands into tessellated peaks. It is seen as these almost black volcanic structures are capped in soft white snow.

The location of the site, at the foot of a ski slope, is important. The building plays a part within the tapestry of its natural setting. It is subservient to its surrounding. It is temporary when viewed against its ancient backdrop. Its role is to disappear with the landscape. To that extent the challenge is to provide a building that can serve its occupants whilst merging seamlessly into the surrounding.

Natural Form, Texture + Landscape

One of the most recognisable aspects of Iceland, and the Mývatn region are its mountains. Ever changing the context of the island through the seasons, the form is a constant reminder of the power of nature. Emerging out of flat lands to the coast, the tesselated structures, often capped in snow, are perhaps the most significant characteristic of Iceland. The proposal seeks to embody this contradiction of ruggedness and elegant beauty in the form of the structure, embedding it in its natural landscape.

From these tesslated, geometric forms, a pattern of layering can be observed. This feature can be seen all around the island and brings distance and contrast into focus. Typically, soft brown and green landscapes thrive on the lowlands close to the coast. These are interupted by rugged outcrops, clad in almost black volcanic rock and ash. In the distance, soft snow-covered mountains complete the collage of contrasting texture and colour, disappearing into the white snowy sky. The proposal reflects this contrast.

Between sporadic mountainous forms is the familiar sight of sinuous riverbeds stretching across the landscape. Formed over centuries, these tendons, separate and link disparate natural formations, glistening in sun light as the ebb towards the ocean.

The Ski Lodge proposal seeks to re-imagine these forms and the principle of uniting, through a series of free-flowing paths with rolling landforms that echo this significant natural feature of Iceland.