Volcano Museum — DAO | Algorithmic & Timber Architecture

Volcano Museum
Reykjahlíð, Iceland

Submitted to Buildner’s Iceland Volcano Museum competition in 2019, participants were tasked with “designing a multipurpose structure to feature local tourism attractions… [that] respect[s] the unique and sensitive context while at the same time [has] the potential to become an iconic tourist attraction in [its] own right.” The museum would be situated near Hverfjall Volcano, and would act as an information center and multipurpose exhibition space.

Taking inspiration from the looming dormant volcano, the proposed design centers around a compression ring roof structure that supports leaning turf-bearing panels anchored at the base by the surrounding stone mass, paying homage to the traditional turf house typology of Iceland. An inner volcanic sanctuary offers year-round respite from the sparse, exposed landscape, with a geothermally heated portal, partial canopy, and a concave form designed to amplify natural light across the open concept spaces within.

PERIOD 2019
STRUCTURE Cross-Laminated Timber
SCALE 2 stories

SERVICES Conceptual Design
Rendering Package

Danielson Architecture Office

Industrial Residential Public Algorithm Material Philosophy About