Iceland – The power of landscape

A recent trip to Iceland reminded me of the power of landscape and the impact it can have on our spirit and emotions. Few places in the world have such a diverse landscape within such a compact area. From the vast lava fields surrounding the airport, the fjords in the north and east, the volcanoes in the south, the glaciers in the north west and central area, to the fault lines and hot springs, mud pools and geysers in the south west’s Golden Circle; all surrounded by the power of the Atlantic Ocean and whales and puffin colonies.

When the Vikings arrived in Iceland in the 9^th century, much of the country was covered by forest – in contrast today when apart from a few sheltered glens, most of Iceland is devoid of trees. The impact of these large barren landscapes is that as a human, the landscape appears endless, with views of a scale not typically seen in the UK, apart from a few upland areas.

The attraction of waterfalls is clear across the country with some of the larger ones such as Detifloss and Gullfoss attracting thousands of visitors daily. What is it about the power of nature and landscape that brings people from all over the world to experience these natural phenomena?

The impact of the landscape changes frequently, as does the weather; resulting in spectacular rainbows, vistas, cloud formations and light and shade as the sun and clouds passes over the mountains. The quality of light, air and the colours and textures within the landscape all uplift the spirit, from the black beaches in Vik I Myrdal to the lava fields on the Snaefellsbaer peninsula in the north east.

Iceland as a country has a very small population of only 340 000 people, with few large settlements apart from the capital Reykjavik and Akureyri in the north. As an urban designer, one might question what we can learn from those small settlements? What became apparent was that homes in the past were highly sustainable and were embedded within the landscape, built to survive the extremes of climate, particularly in the winter. Earth banked and turf houses were commonly built using materials found at hand and sheltered within the landscape. More recently, the use of modern materials including concrete and corrugated steel that can be easily replaced is a common theme and although industrial in character, has a pleasant aesthetic appeal.

Another aspect of the country that came across strongly was an ethos of craft and creativity whether in music, knitting or art. Some say that dark winters allow people the time to be creative. Pagan traditions, together with beliefs in fairies are deeply rooted within the landscape. The importance of art was clearly evident in a number of places from the murals in Reykjavik, the coloured walkway in Seydisfjourur, a port town in the east of Iceland; to the artwork on industrial buildings in the north at Siglufjordhur which was previously the herring capital of Iceland until over-fishing led to a decline in stocks in the 1960s.

So, what have I taken from my experience of Iceland? The sound of the wind, sea, water and the opportunity to taste new flavour combinations resulted in a trip that appealed to all the senses. At Node, we believe in the power of landscape to uplift the spirit and to have a real impact on all our senses whether it is sight, touch, smell, sound and taste.

As human beings, we are all craving experiences that have a powerful impact on our happiness. Great landscape – and landscape design should not be just about how things look, but how they make you feel. I am looking forward to continue considering this in creating multi-faceted sensory experiences in our work.