Iceland
Cave Tower

Rising from Grjótagjá installs three individual volumes, connected by a system of paths spanning the tectonic divide. These buildings connect the visitor to the two continents in a subtle and gentle way. The volumes play into the Icelandic landscape and become manmade extensions of nature. The volumes are related formally, and their different functions suggest that the visitor can move among them to explore the site and feel the grandness of standing at the frontier of two continents. According to the jury, “The spatial organization inside the buildings is quite convincing, and the connection to the landscape works well. The project's reference to traditional farmhouses supports the concept of being one with nature. It has the strength to be realized.” The jury also praised the project’s minimal, elegant, and considerate siting: the three simple building volumes feel "undesigned" yet crisply abstract in the vast natural landscape – an unpretentious yet precise intervention to mark the site. The concept demonstrates a sensitive approach to the context, giving clear priority to nature, with a spatial strategy based on a series of interventions or, incisions in the landscape. Creating a special compositional tension, the work is particularly convincing in the experience of an interplay between the minimalist elements, present and subtle at the same time. The suggested combination of rammed earth and modular wood construction with landscaped roofs is realistic and ideally supports the concept. The resulting raw exteriors and interiors link to the site and promise to age gracefully into the natural habitat.

Moving Surfaces offers an independent, reflective approach to the task, based on a thorough analysis of the site and its context, by transferring the building into the mass of nature with subtle pathways and iconic viewpoints. The result ranges between a careful use of form and a strong presence for the place, and thus represents a new identity – a sculptural beauty, clearly publicly accessible. According to the jury, the project is simple, smart and iconic, “The landart qualities of the project are convincing, and with the concept of being a measure of how the two tectonic plates move each year. By being present on both sides of the fissure, and at the same time creating the measure, the visitor can 'walk' the tension between the two tectonic plates.” It is a project that is easily understood, suggests a movement for the visitor to experience the place, and it is a strong contrast to the landscape. The building connects indoor activities to the outdoor. The connections to the caves are part of the constructed triangle, and lead people to the main attractions.

Hófsemi (translation = moderation) is a well-resolved proposal with a strong connection to the surrounding landscape and a unique lookout point. The project proposes three distinct blackened box-forms housing the toilets and showers, a visitor center, and an observation platform. Most strikingly, the observation platform appears to levitate over the fissure, with an open metal grill catwalk that permits the visitor to view directly below while traversing the gorge. According to the jury, “The careful consideration and willingness to step back from ‘the idea’ is very commendable. The execution remains a bit simplistic and undeveloped.” The jury also praises the design of the raised walking path for the strength of its visual and physical connectivity to the main building with its two satellites.