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ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION ICELAND TREKKING CABINS COMPETITION CONDITIONS PARTNERS: Bee Breeders architecture competition organisers in partnership with CDS NORD Property Developers have prepared this document for the purpose of arranging the ICELAND TREKKING CABINS architecture competition. © Bee Breeders architecture competition organisers [email protected] beebreeders.com CONTENTS 4 INTRODUCTION 5 ICELAND 7 TOURISM IN ICELAND 8 ICELAND'S GEOGRAPHY 9 ICELAND'S CULTURE 10 ARCHITECTURE IN ICELAND 12 TREKKING IN ICELAND 14 THE COMPETITION 14 ICELAND TREKKING CABINS 15 THE COMPETITION SITE 16 PROJECT PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS 16 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS 16 RECOMMENDED SUBMISSION CONTENT 17 PRIZES 17 COMPETITION SCHEDULE 17 REGISTRATION FEES 18 JURY AND EVALUATION PROCESS 19 ELIGIBILITY 19 MEDIA PARTNERS 19 ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS 19 COMPETITION DOCUMENTATION 20 LEGAL NOTICES 20 PRIVACY POLICY 20 TERMS AND CONDITIONS INTRODUCTION Iceland is a small and mysterious Nordic island country located between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. With a landscape filled with lava fields, hot springs, mountains and glaciers, Iceland is a land filled with legends, as well as some of the most beautiful and rugged terrain on Earth. The Iceland Trekking Cabins architecture competition, in partnership with CDS NORD Property Developers, is looking to construct a series of modern trekking cabins that could be located in various spots across some of Iceland’s most famous trekking paths. Participants are tasked with creating clever and inventive designs for the trekking cabin that can be duplicated in all sorts of terrain, and help improve access to harder to reach areas of this incredible country. The Iceland Trekking Cabins must be representative of Iceland’s identity, with a design aesthetic that could become an icon on its own. It’s purpose is to provide safe, comfortable and inviting lodgings, where trekkers and their guides can rest, refuel and, if necessary, wait out troublesome weather. 4 ICELAND Iceland is a small Nordic island country situated between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. With a population of less than 333,000, it is the most sparsely populated country in Europe, with the majority of that population living in the capital Reykjavik and the surrounding areas. Iceland was first settled on in the year 874 AD, when Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent settler on the island. In the centuries to come, many more Norwegian settlers followed, as well as settlers from a few other Scandinavian countries. Iceland was under Norwegian and Danish rule from 1262 to 1814, and finally became a republic in 1944. Iceland has comparatively low taxes and yet maintains a Nordic social welfare system, which provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens. Iceland runs almost entirely on renewable energy, and its main industries are fishing, agriculture and tourism. Iceland, Reykjavík; Image courtesy of http://www.travelalltogether.com/ Volcano in Iceland; Image courtesy of https://guidetoiceland.is/ Ingólfr Arnarson statue; Image courtesy of http://www.szeweyskitchensink.com/ 5 Auroral display over the glacier lagoon Jokulsarlon in Iceland; Image courtesy of John A Davis 6 TOURISM IN ICELAND Tourism in Iceland has only recently begun to increase, contributing to approximately 5% of the country’s GDP and 30% of its export revenue. According to the Icelandic Tourist Board, the number of overnight stays by foreign visitors grew from approximately 595,000 to 4.4 million from 2000 to 2014. The majority of tourists to Iceland hail from the USA and the UK, with countries like Germany, France, Norway and Denmark also visiting regularly. Iceland’s peak season for tourism is during the summer months from June-August, when its untouched nature and unique atmosphere can be most appreciated. Woman in hot spring Blue Lagoon; Image courtesy of Alla Laurent Snowmobile tour; Image courtesy of http://hookedoneverything.com/ Paragliding in Iceland; Image courtesy of http://hookedoneverything.com/ Iceland Geyser Geothermal Field; Image courtesy of http://www.travelalltogether.com/ 7 ICELAND'S GEOGRAPHY Iceland’s geography is both varied and extraordinary. The island is volcanically and geologically active, and the entire country is 103,000 km2 in size, of which 62.7% is tundra. Iceland’s coastline is punctuated with many fjords, around which most of the country’s settlements are situated. The interior of Iceland is cold and uninhabitable, consisting of a combination of sand and lava fields, mountains, and glaciers, with many glacial rivers flowing to the sea through the lowlands on the exterior of the island. Despite being just outside the Arctic Circle, Iceland has a temperate climate, as it is warmed by the Gulf Stream. Being closer to continental Europe than it is to mainland North America, Iceland is considered part of Europe, despite its closest land mass actually being Greenland. Geologically, Iceland is situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a ridge along which the oceanic crust spreads and forms new oceanic crust. Iceland was created by rifting and accretion through volcanism along the ridge. Iceland's paragliding view over tundra; Image courtesy of http://www.icelandexcursions.is/ 8 ICELAND'S CULTURE Vatnajökull region ice caves; Image courtesy of http://localguide.is/ Centuries of isolation have helped make Icelandic culture distinct from other Scandinavian countries, even though Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation’s Scandinavian heritage. A prominent example of this is the Icelandic language, which remains the closest to Old Norse of all the Scandinavian languages. Since most Icelanders are descendants of Germanic and Gaelic settlers, Icelandic is a North Germanic language which is also closely related to Faroese and West Norwegian dialects. Iceland’s cultural heritage includes classical works of literature such as the Icelanders’ sagas which are medieval sagas set in Iceland’s age of settlement. The most famous of which includes Njáls saga, about an epic blood feud, and Grænlendinga saga and Eiríks saga, describing the discovery and settlement of Greenland and Vinland (modern Newfoundland). The Protectors Of Iceland; Image courtesy of http://www.demilked.com/ Iceland's cultural treasures; Image courtesy of http://www.travelalltogether.com/ Skyfall village; Image courtesy of Roman Shatkhin 9 ARCHITECTURE IN ICELAND Iceland may not be known for it’s architecture the way With the arrival of functionalism, stone and concrete many European countries are, but the stunning became popular building materials, with contemporary landscapes are what most capture the eye. However, this architecture in Iceland varying greatly around the country. small island country has an architectural style that is A popular landmark and tourist attraction is distinctly its own. Drawing on its Scandinavian Hallgrimskirkja (Hallgrim's Church), which looks background, Icelandic architecture has been influenced remarkably like a spaceship. Unlike many other European by the lack of native trees on the island. This resulted in countries, there are hardly any older churches or grass and turf covered houses being developed, before cathedrals. Iceland monuments such as this prefer a the Swiss chalet style became prevalent due to the more sleek and modern look as opposed to the construction of many timber buildings. traditional Gothic and Renaissance styles of other countries. A street in central part of Reykjavik; Image courtesy of Alexey Stiop Modern Home In The Nature, Iceland; Image courtesy of http://www.worldofarchi.com/ 10 Icelandic houses with a flag of Iceland; Image courtesy of http://www.sandatlas.org/ Iceland Hallgrímskirkja (Hallgrim's Church); Image courtesy of http://www.travelalltogether.com/ Harpa Reyjkavik Concert Hall, Iceland; Akureyrarkirkja Church; Image courtesy of http://www.travelalltogether.com/ Image courtesy of http://aajpress.wordpress.com/ 11 TREKKING IN ICELAND Trekking is known by many different names, referred to as hiking, backpacking, tramping, and even bushwalking. What defines it is that it is an outdoor recreation in which the trekker carries the necessary gear and supplies with them as they traverse a mountainous or high-altitude landscape. A trek can last for anything from one day trips to month-long outings when aided by planned resupply points or drops. The less a trekker needs to carry, the further they will be able to trek, and the more enjoyable their experience will be. It is a common ethos to minimise the trekker’s impact on the environment, taking care not to disturb vegetation or The Laugavegur Trails; Image courtesy of http://www.macsadventure.com/ animal life by staying on established trails. The Leave No Trace movement ethos is direct: "Leave nothing but footprints. Take nothing but photos. Kill nothing but time. Keep nothing but memories". Iceland’s most famous trekking trail is the Laugavegur Trails. This internationally acclaimed trail takes trekkers from the geothermal valley of Landmannalaugar and the southern highlands, south to the Þórsmörk valley, which is at the foot of the world famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. The 56 km (35 mile) trail crosses many amazing landscapes and natural wonders, including the third biggest geothermal zone in the world, the yellow rhyolite mountains, the black deserts, spectacular canyons and finally the verdurous valley of Þórsmörk. Eyjafjallajökull volcano; Image courtesy of http://www.zastavki.com/ Lake Jokulsarlon in Iceland; Image courtesy