Valhalla

This summer residence is within walking distance from the site of the world's first parliament and overlooks the lake of Thingvallavatn. The fractured lava surface is coated in a thin film of moss, lichen and other minimal vegetation which imperceptibly changes colour during the year cycle, an effect magnified by the scale and remoteness of the setting. The twisted form of the house perches precariously not unlike the broken rock of which the site is formed, a fragility and perilousness underwritten by the weathered fir cladding and rock-strewn roof. In this awe inspiring place the iroko-lined interior provides a safe and comfortable refuge within a sequence of framed views capturing the distant horizons.

Architects : Studio Granda
Structure and services Engineers : Vidsjá
Electrical engineers : Verfraedistofan Johanns Indridasonar

Further reading...

Awards
Nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award 2005

on site 18.09.03
on site 06.03.03
Model