A year ago, we were backpacking across Iceland. Memories of this rich ecosystem, its volcanic soil, mountains, and dazzling colors remain etched in our minds. A new structure should be shaped to the unique environment around one essential question.

How can architecture lead us to see the landscape diff erently?

On the southeast coast, an abandoned runway reveals a fascinating territory where time seems to stand still. This line guides our steps through a fragile and varied landscape, a few kilometers from the village of Djúpivogur. It connects the earth to the sky and the sea.

“Where the sky lands” resonates with this place, accompanying the walk to the sea without interrupting it. Its shape evokes both the takeoff of an airplane and the silhouette of a ship stranded on the shore. The whole becomes a symbolic landmark, inviting contemplation and exploration of this unique environment.

The project offers three observation points connected by a continuous staircase. A tower invites visitors to look up at the sky; individual cabins connected to the ground offer a panorama of the surrounding mountains; below, an immersion space opens onto the aquatic fauna. These different perspectives interact with each other through a play of refl ections and transparencies, guiding the gaze from one horizon to another.

“Where the sky lands” invites visitors to immerse themselves fully in nature and walk to the ocean. Architecture that fades into the background, revealing the silent beauty of Iceland.