Steamscape draws inspiration from the ephemeral and atmospheric qualities of the fissure that created the Grjótagjá cave system. Spanning the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, the site offers a glimpse into the relationship between the earth’s geological and hydrological processes. The most immediate and magnificent of these to be observed at Grjótagjá is the steam rising from the thermal pools of the caves, whispering from the fissure’s mouth beckoning visitors to descend into the waters below. The formal and spacial qualities of the steam that is intrinsic to the site provided the conceptual departure for this project.
Rather than making a singular, monumental tower that would draw attention to itself, this proposal creates an elevated pathway which drifts across the mouth of the fissure, rising and falling like the steam often observed at Grjótagjá. The pathway is wrapped in a system of screens which directs the views of visitors outwards into the surrounding landscape and into the caverns below. Both the screen and the pathway’s walking surface are constructed of steel mesh, a material link between the architecture of the proposal and the atmosphere of the site, creating an illusion of being lifted above the landscape within a cloud of steam.
On the ground the pathway is minimal, with loose gravel blending into the surrounding landscape of volcanic rock, broken only by signposts denoting the entrances to the caves - two for Karlagjá, and one for Kvennagjá. The main building greets the visitors with an enclosed cafe and office space to refresh during their journey to the site. After the cafe, the building diffuses into the ‘steam’ of the pathway system, breaking down into information booths detailing key information about the site’s histories, legends, and geologies, before releasing the visitors into the atmosphere above the fissure.
Location: Grjótagjá Caves, Iceland
Client: Iceland Cave Tower Competition
Program: Landmark and Visitor’s Centre
Date: 2020
Credits: Gabrielle Argent, Justin Lewis, David Woodruff