Research and Information Centre Vestmannaeyjar

Rock is the measure of all things.

The building is positioned at the southern point of the island of Heimaey on a bay where the forces of nature can be read. The sea makes its way, gnawing at the island and creating a stony, cave-like rock face. The choice of site falls on a natural hollow, which is filled in by the design. The exterior form of the building takes up the dynamics of the landscape and becomes part of it. The interplay between the stone volumes and the recessed façade is reminiscent of caves and interlocks the building with the natural environment. An interrelationship is to be created between rock and sea, dissolving the boundary between inside and outside. The rock is the measure of all things. On the one hand, it serves as the back wall for the building, where it is left visible in several places. On the other hand, the removed material of the site - the tuff - serves as a space-creating element. The stones pile up in front of a layer of concrete and merge with it. The massive stone blocks form the interior. They are partly hollow and contain rooms with uses. Depending on the intimacy, spaces narrow or open up. The space in between invites you to stroll and discover. From the coast, the light beckons, the view of Surtsey and a framed landscape.