Design / Draft / Development
Abandoned Airport
The proposal transforms an abandoned airport on the coast of Djúpivogur into a network of bird-watching pavillions embedded within a fragile lagoon landscape. The former runway is reinterpreted as the trunk of a mythological “World Tree – Yggdrasil,” a spatial and narrative device that branches into paths, viewing points, and ecological encounters.
The system of trails operates as a branching organism: from a strong linear axis, routes diverge like limbs across the terrain, culminating in a series of “leaves”, the three typologies of bird observation pavillions.
This tree-like network physically and symbolically reconnects human presence with the rhythms of avian migration. It
creates a slow, choreographed sequence of movement across terrain, from moss tundra to tidal lagoon, from ground to
water, from human to bird.
The design abstracts the Nordic World Tree into leaf-like platforms and branching walkways that echo the lagoon’s contours. Lightweight steel-timber structures and volcanic stone tie the architecture to the black-sand landscape. Permeable paths, sheltered blinds, and wind-filtering layers emulate the protective qualities of a tree canopy, balancing openness with refuge while minimizing interference
with the wetland below
Lagoon Context
Type 1 is a low, elongated leaf-like structure that follows the curve of the shoreline. Functionally it is the most public and capacious pavilion designed for ten simultaneous users, accessible directly from the main circulation path. The layout is gently convex toward the lagoon, which provides visitors a slightly different viewing axis along the façade and creates a panoramic field without having to use large open walls.
Type 3 is a sunken ring set at lagoon level, the key design goal is immersive proximity to birds on water while maximising their sense of safety. Access is by a narrow on-water concrete ramp, which already slows the pace and psychologically prepares visitors to focus attention forward. Because people are very close to the birds here, we use the fins primarily to break up human silhouettes seen from the water.
