Iceland Black Lava Fields Visitors Center
Journey to Dimmuborgir.
Iceland
Iceland is a land of sharp physical contrast, born of diverging tectonic plates and a celebration of the space “in-between.” Subterranean volcanic fissures have created an engaging diversity of opposing landscapes, ranging from barren highlands and deep green fjords to glacial lagoons and beautiful lava fields.
Dimmuborgir was created by one such contrast: the clash between a lava flow and the moisture of lake, soil, and marsh. The lava flow pooled over the existing landscape, causing the moisture to boil and vaporize. The rising vapor shot through the lava on the way to the surface, forming air-filled lava pillars and caves of all shapes and sizes. Over time, the upper crust cooled and the air-filled chambers collapsed, leaving the remaining pillars exposed on the new lava field basin.
A visit to Dimmuborgir is not simply about seeing these formations. A visit to this notable place calls for a personal exploration, starting at the surface and descending to the base of the lava formations, weaving one’s way through each of the areas in-between. There is a uniqueness in every inch of the journey to be contemplated, admired, and celebrated.
The design brief and existing site creates opportunities for improvement. The prompted dropoff area sits at the top of a hill, which visually pollutes the area, while simultaneously forcing an inefficient back and forth traffic flow between visitor center and parking. The current modest visitor center sits in a remote location, separated from both parking and existing Lava Field trails. This disconnect not only affects the geography of the site, but the visitor’s experience as they traverse it. The proposed solution efforts to provide an experience that starts the moment a visitor parks their car. This proposed path is tucked into the topography to reinforce the idea of a low-impact intervention that, while moving visitors through the site in an interesting and purposeful way, leaves a large portion of the earth untouched. Rather than focusing all of the program into one structure situated between parking and Lava Fields, the team split the various functions along the trail to create a cohesive experience throughout the journey. Each redirection in the path introduces a programmatic intervention, coordinating with the existing geography, geology, and topography to best serve its respective purpose.
