Iceland Volcano Lookout Point competition winners offer new ways of experiencing the island's volcanic landscape

The results of Bee Breeders Competition Organizers’ Iceland Volcano Lookout Point Competition have been announced, showcasing an inventive selection of winning and shortlisted projects and honorable mentions. 

The challenge, part of Bee Breeders' Iceland Competition Series, tasks participants with designing an observation point positioned on the southern edge of Hverfjall in northern Iceland, a landform created by a volcanic eruption that left a one-kilometer-wide and 140-meter-deep crater. The platform for the observation point must fit a 10x10-meter base that offers views from the top of the crater overlooking Lake Mývatn and the Dimmuborgir lava fields.

Projects were evaluated by an international jury including Marshall Blecher, co-founder of MAST; Greg Corso of Syracuse, New York-based SPORTS Collaborative and Assistant Professor at Syracuse University’s School of Architecture; Jake Heffington, an architect, activist, and Executive Director of Diversity Architecture; Borghildur Indriðadóttir, an artist based in Reykjavík, Iceland; Kyle Schumann, co-founder of After Architecture and Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia; and Erik “Rick” Sommerfeld, an architect, Assistant Professor, and the Director of ColoradoBuildingWorkshop at the University of Colorado Denver. 

First prize was awarded to Francisco Saraiva and David Matos out of Portugal for “Hverfjall Arch”.

Project description: “Hverfjall Arch is a signal of human’s presence at the top of the ridge. It is an illuminated ring that invites visitors to transform it into a beacon of light, converting a personal experience into a collective one.”

Jury commentary: “Creating a signifier of human presence in such a barren and austere landscape is a compelling approach to this brief. Less of a platform, this project provides a beacon - of achievement for the hiker and of communion for those wandering the plains and neighboring craters. This concept is playful and inclusive to the visitor and locals. Impactful and fun!”

The second prize went to Iran-based Farshid Roozitalab, Sadegh Kaveh, and Ahmadreza Dehghani for “TOPOS”.

Project description: “Topos is a place for visitors to rest and view the surroundings and sky. It is a CNC-cut topographical structure that is a crater in and of itself - one to lie and gaze upwards or outwards.”

Jury commentary: “This project operates at two different scales - as both a sublime object at the landscape scale and as a delightful and intimate environment at the pedestrian scale. The form is elegant, and the attention to sculpting an inhabitable surface in relation to the human form reinforces the idea that this is a place individuals would like to visit but also stay, rest, and gather. The simplicity of occupying a concave form, reminiscent of the volcano itself, to view the sky, is appreciated. The clear graphics and beautiful renderings help support the topographic narrative.”

“The Edge” by Lorin Wiedemeier of ETH Zurich received third-place honors and the BB Student Award.

Project description: “The Edge is a forest of thin columns that supports an upper platform. A semi-transparent fabric is hung from it like a veil, offering an always-changing spatial experience.”

Jury commentary: “The project's focus on contrast is very interesting, both in a material capacity and in an experiential capacity. It is a strong proposal that showcases each aspect very well and is overall convincing. Experientially, the entry sequence is a seductive departure from the ocularcentric nature of the site. The veil embraces the haptic senses and gives the user a welcome reprieve that helps enhance the emergence on the stage. Well described and executed. Exciting, dramatic and original.”

Finally, the competition’s BB Green Award went to Brandon Bergem, Jeffrey Garcia, and Martin Drozdowski of Canada for “Grjótský”.

More information on the winning proposals, along with the competition’s honorable mentions and shortlisted projects, can be seen here.