Arkis Architects’ Visitor Center: Where Architecture and Landscape Become One

The Visitor Center’s design by Arkis Architects allow architecture and landscape to merge into a unified whole through form and materiality.

The Visitor Center for Vatnajökull National Park is located in South of Iceland. It serves as a vibrant center of culture and nature, connecting to nearby walking paths and a viewing platform, and also functions as an information center for the district.

Rooftop walkway and viewing platform form part of the exhibition area, offering visitors the opportunity to engage with the geology of the site while enjoying views of a glacier and of Iceland’s highest peak. The building was designed and constructed according to the international BREEAM certification standard, emphasizing environmentally friendly materials and minimizing waste.


The building is a single-storey structure with a basement with work facilities for the national park staff and a storage room. Access paths and parking areas are integrated into the landscape, making them less visible. It was designed with the surrounding landscape in mind, intended to blend seamlessly into the hilly terrain. The roof is covered with turf sourced directly from the site itself. The entrance plaza connects to a covered terrace for outdoor dining. A pathway also runs through the rooftop area, allowing visitors to walk directly from one side to the other, with views over the area.

Environmentally friendly materials were used throughout, and all construction waste was carefully minimized, measured, and monitored. Strict environmental requirements were also enforced on the contractor for the duration of the project. All interior and exterior timber cladding is sourced from a nearby forest, ensuring responsible sourcing and full traceability throughout the production process. Well-developed walking and cycling paths connect the center to the surrounding park.

The main structure of the building consists of precast concrete panels with a corrugated exterior finish. The exhibition space floors are polished concrete, divided into sections, each featuring river gravel from the largest glacial rivers of the western area of the park. Surface water from the roof is directed into landscape ponds. All materials were selected for their low maintenance requirements, eliminating the need for outdoor paint and allowing for natural weathering without compromising durability. The exterior timber walls of the building are sourced from the forests of South Iceland and the eaves are clad in Corten steel.

Photo credit: Karl Vilhjálmsson
Source: V2com