Snæfellsstofa

Snæfellsstofa is a visitor center and information center for the eastern area of ​​Vatnajökull National Park. It opened in 2010 and is the first environmentally certified building in Iceland according to the BREEAM environmental standard. ARKÍS Architects designed Snæfellsstofa.

The eternal creativity of the glacier inspires the shape of Snæfellsstofa, how he either breaks his way or retreats and throws new, ever-changing natural gems into the landscape. These creations are a model for the spaces and shapes that can be found in Snæfellsstofa. In terms of building materials, Snæfellsstofa draws inspiration from Gunnarshús, larch in wall cladding, pasture on the roof, and loads on a plot of homemade stones. Nearby are vast forests that become visible in the appearance of the house.

The horizontal and slightly sloping strata (tertiary lava) with prominent sloping rock tunnels are reflected in the main axis both in form and choice of material and color. The building enjoys itself extremely well as it stands on the slopes of Fljótsdalur.