IN BETWEEN

Sopot College

Project idea

As you cross lunar Iceland's and fragile landscape in search of caves, you will find a visible element of the landscape from a distance. The tower, situated on the border of two tectonic plates between the caves, leads you to each other with a play of lights, intriguing shape and location.
When you approach the target, a calm and decisive lump appears in front of you - are you starting to wonder if this shape reminds you anything? You keep this thought in mind…
You find an information point, buy a ticket to the caves. While waiting for the entrance you go to the tower. You pay attention to the triangular elements of the paths, which protect delicate environment. You can easily see that the shape of the paths is a reflection of the building's facade elements.
Here you can choose to continue hiking on the North american plate side or go higher to the top. If you don’t do it now – dont’t worry – you’ll also have the option later on.
the cafe is open regardless of purchased tickets .Sitting by the window, waiting for a coffee, you read about the history of Iceland, flora and fauna, geology, the specifics of the region, the function of the object - you find the symbolic shape of a whale and the materials used in the buildings.
You feel good here and could stay longer, but your time to enter the cave is inevitably coming. You leave the cafe and when leaving, you realize that the descent from the tower is just as spectacular.

Project description

Naturally corroded sheet metal, walls finished with volcanic weathered rock and tuff, concrete, reflective glass give you a foretaste of the colors you will see in the caves.
The stairs lead you to the platform where you can say that you are in two places at once - between the tectonic plates. Here you can choose to continue on the north American side of the plate or go higher, to the top.
If you don't do it now - don't worry - you will be able to do it later.
Finished construction and façade elements are planned to be delivered to the construction site by air, assembled and joined on site don’t generate additional storage places and destruction of natural surroundings.
The stucture of the tower building consists of two main parts: a concrete base embedded into the ground with seismic isolation and a construction steel wall - prepared before assembly. Seismic isolation it also has a second option - it protects against tectonic movements of moving plates.
Elevation cladded with weatered steel elements (smooth, porous). Indoor walls of tower cave are done by mixture of conrete and volcanic tuff. To the walls are mounted rails and platforms for disabled people. Roof and walls of the tower top are quantum glass generating free sun energy and isolate from external factors.

Technical information

The path takes you to the space of the building, where you leave your unnecessary luggage in the storage room, use the toilet and go on a tour of the caves. You're going to experience luxurious and sensual rest. Also, if you want to explore the caves in more detail, go to see the evaporating water, touch it with how warm it is.
Depending on what time you choose of your visit, you are about to witness of a screening of the colorful sky displays at dusk, slow sunsets and sunrises, observation of the midnight sun, the aurora borelias with silence and nature.