In a week’s time, our studio put together a 200-page document summarizing relevant details about Iceland. Our research was broken into six parts: Icelandic History and Culture; Economy, Politics, and Local Resources; Tourism; Vernacular Architecture; Climate, Geology, and Biodiversity; and Information about Djúpivogur, which is ultimately where we will be designing. Everyone pulled their weight, and the end result is a document with enough background research that we can go to Iceland with an informed perspective.
In Icelandic History and Culture, we learned that Icelanders enjoy high education and gender equality, and that their population is centered mostly around Reykjavik. Most Icelanders speak at least three languages fluently, and although the Lutheran Church is the official religion of Iceland, an increasing number of Icelanders are secular in their worldview. We also explored the history of Iceland’s settlement and political ownership from 750 AD to present. Here’s an interesting statistic: according to Erlendur Haraldsson and Terry Gunnell’s survey in 2006, 55% of Icelanders believed in the possibility of huldufórk, which are a kind of elf that live in the rock-strewn landscapes of Iceland. This belief has actually been used to stop developments and road projects, as disrupting the huldufórk could cause retaliation from them.
In the section covering Iceland’s economy, politics, and local resources, we learned that Iceland has a small GDP in comparison to other European countries, but that since the population is so small (332,529), it comes to nearly $60,000 per person. This economy is mostly based on their fishing industry, which is why Iceland has fought many political wars to extend their fishing rights in the North Atlantic. We also learned that after the economic crash in 2008, Iceland made a big push to expand their tourism industry, which is why we are working in Djúpivogur today.
The group covering tourism discovered that nearly 30% of Iceland’s export revenue comes from tourism, and that in 2017 Iceland had over 2,000,000 visitors. Most tourists fly into Reykjavik and travel around the main highway, which makes a circle around the island. This group highlighted different popular activities in the southern, western, eastern, and northern regions. They also showed how tourism has quickly outpaced population growth in Iceland, which raises questions about how Icelanders can protect their land from misuse and prevent the heavy impact of tourists from disrupting daily life.
The team researching vernacular and contemporary architecture in Iceland showed us how early Icelanders dealt with a very limited material palate to construct their houses, sheds, and institutional buildings. We learned about turf as building material, where the roots of the grass hold different blocks of earth together via complex tessellation patterns, and we learned how Danish rule introduced new architectural typologies. Around this time, Iceland became dependent on other Nordic countries for construction materials, and to this day, all wood, concrete, and steel come from mainland Europe. Even the stone is mostly imported, as the volcanic stones in Iceland are difficult to work with and reportedly are difficult to weatherproof. This team also introduced us to a number of important pieces of architecture, including Alvar Aalto’s Nordic House, Studio Granda’s City Hall, Supreme Court, and Reykjavik Art Museum, and Henning Larsen Architects’ Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center.
The group covering Iceland’s climate, geology, and biodiversity showed how ocean currents, geological activity, and physical location all act together to imbue Iceland with its unique climate. Wind is especially strong in Iceland because its geography can canalize winds, and there is little ground cover because of extreme deforestation. Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, making it very volcanically active. This energy is captured by geothermal energy plants that provide Iceland with the majority of its industrial and residential power and hot water. It also has several large glaciers that cover 10% of its land. Iceland only has one native land mammal that predates humans: the arctic fox. Iceland is known, however, for its domesticated animals, which have taken unique characteristics due to their isolation and adaptations to the island. The Icelandic sheep, the Icelandic dog, the Icelandic horse, and the Icelandic cow all play a vital role in understanding Icelandic identity and agriculture. Other non-domesticated animals were also introduced into Iceland throughout its history, including reindeer, rodents, and mink. Iceland also has a rich population of avians and sea mammals because it is along their migratory paths. We also learned that vegetation covers less than 50% of Iceland, with the majority of non-vegetated land being sandy flats along major rivers. Mosses account for more than half of all vegetation cover, and heathland generally covers everything else besides snowbed vegetation.
Finally, the group covering Djúpivogur researched the geography, history, and economy of the small town. Djúpivogur was formed in 1992 by merging three rural communities on the eastern coast of Iceland. The area was originally developed as a trading post in 1589, and the town has grown to around 450 residents. Today, the main source of employment is in the fishing industry, but a growing segment is based on tourism. The town has three fjords to the east and the imposing Bulandstindur mountain to the northwest. The city is interested in maintaining its distinct character, and has become the first Cittaslow city in Iceland, thus joining an organization with goals to protect and improve the quality of life of residents by resisting consumerist urges to maximize profit and speed while losing character and value. The city is also sited partially on an interesting outcrop of naturally formed zeolites and fossils which are in a protected zone, which is starting to shape how Djúpivogur forms its tourist narrative. Djúpivogur is also interested in developing as a space for artists and art installations, a precedent set most notably by Sigurd Guðmundsson and his sculptural work Eggin í Gleðivík, or “Eggs on a Merry Bay”.
With the research we’ve compiled, we have a baseline understanding of how to approach architecture in Iceland for the people of Djúpivogur. Next week we will be in Iceland, and we will finally hear exactly what we will be building!
