The Skyview

Competitions

All projects

Project Site

Mývatn, Iceland

Year

2024

SQM

564

Client

Buildner

Task

International Competition

International Competition "Iceland Cabin Snow"

The competition aims to design a cosy and sustainable Ski Cabin, well integrated into the unique landscape of Mývatn.

The design of the Cabin Snow starts from the idea of creating an element in harmony with the landscape character of the project site. The Icelandic volcanic rock and the elevated surroundings provided the starting point for the concept. The idea is that of a block of lava rock rising from the ground, like a portion of the earth's crust fracturing and pushing its way to the surface.

The envelope was conceived as totally walkable not only internally, but especially externally. The intention was to create an elevated walkway, transforming the entire roof of the building into a terrace at different heights. The course of the volume creates the possibility of walking along the roof, admiring the surrounding landscape.

The inclination of the ramps is such that they are easy for anyone to walk on, not only sportsmen and women, but also children and the disabled. The roof-terrace can be fully traversed up to the final upper point.

The entire building is clad in basalt, a lava stone abundant in the area. The external cladding is reminiscent of natural basalt formations. The glazed openings interrupt the stone cladding like cuts in the rock. When the lights inside the building are turned on in the evening, the glazed cuts shine like lava blades breaking through the rock formations.

The upper floor is entirely dedicated to the relaxation area, where one can rest and enjoy a warm place. The space is totally immersed in the large glass triangle, allowing a total and immersive view of the outdoor spaces and the northern lights.

The building is oriented with the apex of the diagonal pointing South, so as to make use of as many hours of light and solar energy as possible, especially during the winter period, which is penalised by few hours of daylight. The two large windows are oriented towards the West and East, i.e. towards the ski slopes and the surrounding landscape.

In order to occupy as little land as possible, it was decided to structure the geometry on a rigid starting mesh. Starting from this grid, a construction axis was traced, wrapped around itself and culminating with a diagonal on the median axis. The progressive upward extrusion of the vertices of the axis created generates the building's volumetry.