t his summer residence within walking distance of the site of the world’s first parlia - ment overlooks the lake of Thingvallavatn.The fractured lava surface of the ground is coated in a thin film of moss, lichen and other minimal vegetation which imperceptibly changes colour during the year, an effect magnified by the scale and remoteness of the setting. In this extraordinary context the twisted form of the house half hovers and half perches not unlike the broken rock of the site. A fragility and perilousness is underwritten by the weathered fir-clad walls and rock-strewn roof. In this awe inspiring yet inhospitable land the iroko-lined interior provides a safe and comfortable refuge with a sequence of framed views capturing the distant horizons.
Architects: Studio Granda, March 2003 Structural and Mechanical Engineers :Vidsj· Electrical engineers: Verkfraedistofan Johanns Indridasonar
Steve Christer is a partner in Studio Granda, Reykjavik, Iceland.
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Spring 2004
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