Sensual landscape A thesis project
by Brynhildur Gudlaugsdottir Tutors: Belinda Tato & Jose Luis Valleja
IaaC
29th of june 2009
North American Plate
Plate boundaries Akureyri
Iceland is located on the MidAtlantic Ridge, which makes it one of the most volcanically active places in the world.
Reykjavík
It sits astride the boundary between the Eurasian and North American Plates which runs across Iceland from the south-west to the northeast of the island. The most volcanic activity is concentrated along the plate boundary.
Euresian Plate
deep - sea trench
fold mountains
Structure of the earth The Earth has several distinct layers. Each of these layers has its own properties. The outermost layer of the Earth is the crust and then comes the mantle in the middle and at last the core innermost.
lava
earth crust
mantle core
Together the earth crust and the mantle create seperated plates that are constantly moving, either apart or together. Where they move apart it creates new earth crust with the convection of lava, but where the plates move together, they become thicker and create fold mountains. If one of the plates moves under the other one they create a deep - sea trench.
North American Plate
Geothermal areas High temperature geothermal areas
Euresian Plate
precipitation
Hydrologic cycle
vapor
There are over 20 high-temperature steam fields in Iceland that range from 150 °C to 250 °C in temperature
Natural hot springs
This is what allows Iceland to harness geothermal energy that is used for everything from heating houses to heating swimming pools.
There are about 200 volcanoes located in Iceland and over 600 hot springs.
to homes steam exhaust hot water tank
Flowchart
to homes
Afloftarar steam sequester
humidity sequester
well
well liquid distil coolers
main pumps
High pressure steam Low pressure steam Sequester water
cold water tank Condensed water pumps
Condensed water Cool water
station pumps
Hot water cold water pump
Case studies
type of bath
H2 O
H2 O
water used for therapy
steam used for therapy
minerals in the water used for therapy
Si
Mg
shape of structure
process / affect on the human body
silicon
100° celsius
magnesium
organically shaped by site
formally shaped - not regarding site
Hot
Cold
nerve stimuli quiet, soothing effect
nerve stimuli stimulating, invigorating effect
spiritual affect important
The Blue Lagoon
H2 O Si Mg
silicon
Situated in the middle of a large lava field and created by geothermal seawater. The hot water comes from holes as deep as 2000 meters and is
used to fill the natural spa with warm and comfortable water but is also used for powering the nearby natural energy station.
magnesium
The Native American Sweatlodge
H2 O
The aim of the ceremony is to purify one’s mind, body, spirit and heart. The lodge is dark, moist, hot and safe. A sweat is typically four sessions, called rounds or endurances,
each lasting about 30 to 45 minutes. The darkness relates to human ignorance before the spiritual world and so much of the physical world. The Stone People spirits are
awakened in the stones by heating them in the sacred fi re until red-hot. One at a time they are placed in the shallow pit inside the sweat lodge. After the stones are in
100° celsius
the pit, the entrance is closed and sealedand the sweat begins.
The Japanese Onsen
H2 O Si Mg
silicon
An Onsen is a Japanese public bath which uses naturally hot water from geothermally heated springs. Onsen come in many types and shapes, including outdoor and indoor baths. Traditionally, onsen
were located outdoors, although a large number of hotels have now built indoor bathing facilities as well.
magnesium
The Russian Banya
H2 O
The “parilka” or steam room is lined with benches on at least three levels. It houses a large stove with smouldering stones radiating heat, surrounded by large buckets of water and a giant ladle.
A bather takes a ladle full of hot water and pours it directly onto the stones, immediately fi lling the room with hot, dense steam. The essence of the Russian banya is steam. Producing the right
steam is crucial as Russians make a distinction between the light and drysteam or the thick and wet one. This is essentially what diff erentiates the sauna from the banya: The latter has wet, moist steam,
100° celsius
while the former is based on hot, dry steam.
Remains of Roman public baths
H2 O H2 O
100° celsius
Remains of a roman bath in Bath, England
All Roman bathhouses contained a series of rooms which got progressively hotter. Most contained an apodyterium—a room just inside the entrance where the bather stored his clothes. Next, the bather progressed into the frigidarium (cold room) with its tank of cold water, the tepidarium (warm room), and finally the caldarium (hot room). The caldarium, heated by a brazier underneath the hollow fl oor, contained cold-
Tepidarium
water basins which the bather could use for cooling. After taking this series of sweat and/or immersion baths, the bather returned to the cooler tepidarium for a massage with oils and final scraping
Caldarium
Apodyterium
with metal implements. Some baths also contained a sudatorium, a moist steam bath, and a laconium (a dry, resting room) where the bather completed the process by resting and sweating. The Roman
Frigidarium
baths varied from simple to exceedingly elaborate structures, and they varied in size, arrangement, and decoration.
Interior Gulf Stream The house is designed by using two sources of heat. Two metal planes with different temperature, are extended in different hights and create a movement of air using the natural phenomenon of convection.
Philippe Rahm architects
The shapes of the house will be cut out from the shapes of the thermal movement. Rising hot air cools when it contacts the upper cool plane and is then reheated when it contacts the hot plane, thus creating a constant thermal flow like a mineature Gulf stream.
Field of interest
The Torfajökull region Country: I ce la n d Subregion Name: So u the r n I ce la n d Volcano Type: Str a to v o lca n o Volcano Status: Hi s to r i ca l Last Known Eruption: 147 7 Summit Elevation: 125 9 m
A stratovolcano, also called a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano composed of many layers of hardened lava, tephra, and volcanic ash. These kinds of volcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions.
Beside Torfajökull © Páll Stefánsson
The Torfajökull area of southern Iceland is an uninhabited area containing a wide variety of terrain and some of the most beautifull in Iceland.
Jökulgil © Páll Stefánsson
Torfajökulssvæðið © Páll Stefánsson
Hrafntinnusker © Páll Stefánsson
This is also one of the most powerful thermal region in Iceland, named after a glacier, Torfajökull which is a
large rhyolitic volcano massif, with a 12-km-diameter caldera. It is located in the neovolcanic zone in south Iceland.
Brattháls © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson
The diversity of geography In this region we have an extreame diversity of geography. The area is crowded with peaks and mountains. Many of the peaks are pointed others are askewed or flat, some
Jökulgil © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson
Jökulgil © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson
Jökulgil © Ragnar Axelsson
Landmannalaugar © Páll Stefánsson
of them are like a box, some jagged like a sawblade, some wide and rounded, other domed or steep hemisphere.
The spectrum of colors
Reykjadalir © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson Landmannalaugar © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson
Landmannalaugar © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson
The rhyolite mountaines have not a lot of vegetation, they are steep and momentum The palagonite mountains are covered with moss.
The Torfajökull region is one of the few places in Iceland where you have incredible diversity of colours from natures hand.
The rhyolite mountaines span almost the whole spectrum of colors. From light grey to blue, green and light yellow, to orange, pink and dark red.
The limit of the spectrum is set by the white glaciers and the dark, almost black, palagonite mountaines.
The concept Reykjadalir © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson
The goal of the project is to create a bathing facility for the hiking people that travel around the Torfajokull region in Iceland. The structure or the
facility will be an adaptation to the already existing hot springs that are situated all around the area.
Focus on the environment versus body behaviour. Certain areas of the structure would be influenced by different degrees of temperature,
color, light, material and etc. The guests of the facility may move around this landscape and freely choose an athmosphere according to their desire.
Hydrotherapy Hydro- and hydrothermal therapy are traditional methods of treatment that have been used for the treatment of disease and injury by many cultures. The recuperative and healing properties of hydrotherapy are based on its mechanical and thermal effects. Generally, heat quiets and soothes the body, slowing down the activity of internal organs. Cold, in contrast, stimulates and invigorates, increasing internal activity.
thermal flow
hot
steam
relax
warm
cold
change
hot
relax
cold
Immitated landscape steam
warm
Existing hot spring 43°c
Existing hot spring38°c
change
hot
steam
relax
warm
cold
change
hot
steam
relax
warm
cold
change
hot
steam
relax
warm
cold
change
Moving in the landscape
move along the structure
hot
relax
cold
thermal flow steam
warm
change
hot relax
cold
warm change steam
View on site
view to Hrafntinnusker
view to the mountains
view to Torfajökull
view to the river view down the valley
view to Mýrdalsjökull
Steam
Relax
Functions Hot
Change
Warm
Cold
Scale 1:100
The site
Existing hot spring 43°c
Existing hot spring38°c
Scale 1:300
steam
Steam bath > 80°c
Steam bath
Scale 1:300
hot
steam
Relaxing area 25°c - 30°c
Relaxing area
Scale 1:300
relax
warm
hot
steam
Changing area 22°c
Changing area
Scale 1:300
relax
warm
change
hot
steam
relax
warm
cold
change
hot
steam
relax
cold
warm
change
Density of pipes
Steam
Hot
Warm
Relax
Change
Cold
Psychology of colors Red
increases blood pressure stimulation vitality ambition anger endurance irritation sexuality
Green
good for the heart comfort laziness relaxation calmness balance soothing affect connection with nature
Black
comforting and protective mysterious silence death passive
Pink
muscles relax calm protection warmth nurture unselfish love
Blue
lower blood pressure cooling soothing affect calmer relaxing mental control clarity creativity
Brown
earth home stability security
Orange
stimulates the sexual organs benefitial to digestive system strengthens the immune system positive on your emotional state. opens emotions antidepressant.
Purple
Grey
independence self-reliance evasion non-commitment separation lack of involvement ultimately loneliness.
Yellow
stimulates the brain energetic happy uplifting clear thinking good judgment organization self-confidence optimism
purifying suppresses hunger balance narcotic soothing numbing stimulating intuition and imagination peace cleans emotional disturbances sensitivity stimulates creativity, spirituality and compassion. Psychic power protection
White
ultimate purity peace comfort dispels shock and despair. freedom openness
Temperature
Steam Hot Warm Relaxing Change Cold
Duration
Shape
Color
Light
Material
No light
Concrete & Earth
Dimm
Concrete
Natural
Wood
Natural
Grass & Turf
Smooth
Wood & Concrete
Natural
Stones
Brown > 80° celsius
40° - 45° celsius
15-20 minutes
2-15 minutes
Security
Red Endurance
Yellow 38° celsius
no limit
Uplifting
Green 25° - 30° celsius
no limit
Balance
White 22° celsius
no limit
Ultimate purity
Blue 10° - 20° celsius
< 3 minutes
Clarity
Brown
Red
Green
White
Security
Endurance
Balance
Ultimate purity
Blue Concrete & Earth
Concrete
Grass & Turf
Wood & Concrete
Clarity
Stones
Yellow Uplifting
Wood