KOHDENIMI

Iceland Volcano Coffee Shop

Poetic view

Red hot lava erupts from the mysteriously opening hidden depth of the Earth. The tameless, devilish stream swallows everything, living or dead, illuminates the land and the air with her magic glow. The history of the event becomes petrified in the mythical figures, the ancient creatures of the mind. Aurora Borealis, the message from the Sun, the reminder of the endless, eternal Cosmos, meets the underworld of the Earth in the horizon of the architecture. The architectural concept reflects the magnificent scaleless powers. The building rises from the ground, the materials symbolize the locality, the lighting connects to the Northern Lights, the roof allows the green to occupy space for life.

The building

The form of the building is a straightforward shed to accommodate the essential functions. The toilets, storage and technical facilities are in the section with volcanic stone facades, as the main functions are wrapped in the glass dominated envelope. The building stands on concrete foundations. The steel columns along the exterior walls carry the weight of the beams allowing for an open plan.

Sustainable growth

The Iceland Volcano Coffee Shop is based on sustainable solutions for heating, power supply and materials. The dominant material is recycled glass and surplus glass from the industry, stacked horizontally, secured with vertical steel rods, and glued together with natural mould that grows between the glass layers. The local volcanic stone and gravel is mixed into the concrete, also to achieve materiel integration with the landscape. The self-sufficiency of the building is based on geothermal energy wells that produce the heating for the air distribution system, as well as the power supply based on solar energy panels. The organic layer enables the local greenery to spread on the roof. The underdrainage and rainwater are collected in the shallow pool on the side of the building.