National Purist Routes by Gislunn Halfdanardottir

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION AND MOVING ICELANDIC LANDSCAPES

Mathias Kempton & Gislunn Halfdanardottir

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION AND MOVING ICELANDIC LANDSCAPES

DIPLOMA, AUTUMN 2011 Oslo School of Architecture, Institute of Urbanism and Landscape 09.12.2011 Diploma Candidates: Gislunn Halfdanardottir Telephone: 988 41 108 Email: gislunn@gmail.com Mathias Kempton Telephone: 988 34 892 Email: mathias@kempton.no

Responsible tutor: Peter Hemmersam Telephone: 928 60 924 Email: peter.hemmersam@aho.no

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Part 1. PREMISE: ICELAND - THREE SECTORS IN GROWTH........................................................................................8

Three sectors in growth.......................................................................................................................................10 Knowledge base..................................................................................................................................................12 Tourism....................................................................................................................................................14 Industry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............16 Preservation...........................................................................................................................................18 The Kàrahnjùkar project.......................................................................................................................................22 Polarized debate.................................................................................................................................................32 Repeating the model.......................................................................................................................... ..................34

Part 2. APPROACH : LOGICS...........................................................................................................................................................36 Spatial products..................................................................................................................................................38 Potential cooperation..........................................................................................................................................50 Promising combinations......................................................................................................................................58 Spin-off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............59 The logic of aluminium.........................................................................................................................................60 The logic of the cable...........................................................................................................................................61 The logic of green................................................................................................................................................62 Iceland - a hydrogen economy?.............................................................................................................................64

Part 3. DESIGN PROJECT: NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES...................................................................................................66 National Purist Routes - the organization...............................................................................................................70 New Eden...........................................................................................................................................................72 Meltdown................................................................................................................................................88 Fuel Farm...........................................................................................................................................................94 Into the Wild .....................................................................................................................................................98 Feverscape.....................................................................................................................................................106 Mussel Snitch....................................................................................................................................................114 Pixel Forest.......................................................................................................................................................118 Part 4. REFLECTIONS...................................................................................................................................................................134 Does replacing the product change the model?....................................................................................................136 Logics of nature-tourism affecting Kàrahnjùkar...................................................................................................138 The chicken or the egg......................................................................................................................................140 Transitory values/masses..................................................................................................................................142 Evolution...............................................................................................................................................144 New maps.........................................................................................................................................................146 IMAGES......................................................................................................................................................................148 LITERATURE.......................................................................................................................................................176

Introduction Iceland is currently in the middle of an extensive development in the sectors of industry and tourism. When utilizing the country’s potentials in the shapes of power intensive industry and natural landscape, Iceland is creating a direction for the future. Decisions concerning both, are taking place as we speak. Industry and tourism are often seen as opposing sectors with different interests. In this study we have looked at the underlying forces at play within both. As a result, our question is as follows:

What potentials lie in seeing the two together? In order to explore our question, we have created the design project ”National Purist Routes”. The project is a network of filling stations and destinations for a proposed hydrogen powered car rental fleet in Iceland. The title “National Purist Routes”, refers to: >Hydrogen as a pure fuel >”The Purist Scale”, as used in the work with Iceland’s current master plan for hydro and geothermal power projects. >The National Tourist Routes of Norway FOOD PRODUCTION FUEL PRODUCTION ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION EXCESS HEAT ABANDONED FARM DISCHARGE MONITORING DATA STORAGE

The project “National Purist Routes” > Challenges the nature/culture dichotomy and demonstrates the transitory quality of our values > Introduces new sites as well as new types of sites and commodities for the tourist > Speculates in new uses of energy in Iceland and the advantages of not being connected to a transnational energy network > Cooperates across sectors and takes advantage of the investment capacity of the large actors The book is divided into four parts. Part one is our premise and describes the current situation in Iceland regarding the three growth sectors tourism, industry and preservation. In part two we have approached our initial question by reading the premise through a specific pair of glasses. We have called this approach Logics. This refers to forces external to architecture that still produce spatial products. The third part is the design project “National Purist Routes”. In the fourth part we view our work in larger contexts.

NEW EDEN MELTDOWN INTO THE WILD FEVERSCAPE FUEL FARM MUSSEL SNITCH PIXEL PARK

MARKETPLACE CURIOSITY NEW LEISURES PUBLIC SPACE NEW SITES TRANSPARENCY R&D

40 % Hydroelectric potential utilized

20 % Geothermal potential utilized

PART 1. PREMISE

ICELAND THREE SECTORS IN GROWTH: >Industry >Tourism >Preservation

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Three sectors in Iceland currently experiencing rapid growth are power intensive industry, tourism and preservation. As well as growth, these sectors all have in common that they deal with landscape as an asset, often the very same landscape. The tourist-sector consists of a number of small actors while the power sector is composed of few, but large actors. Because of small actors and little government money, the tourism sector has a hard time funding even basic needs along the road. The industry and power sector on the other hand, consist of large corporations and organizations that have the capital for long term investments. The industrial sector can therefore finance the construction of infrastructure, making large new areas easily accessible. In 1997 the Icelandic Government decided to develop a Master Plan for all potential hydro and geothermal power projects, a work still in progress. When power companies plan their infrastructure, their calculations are fairly straight forward and measurable in terms of economic investment and gain. Preservation and tourism on the other hand deal with qualities of a less measurable nature. As a result, the current trend, not only in Iceland, is

that the tourist and preservation sectors work on a similar set of calculations. Nature and heritage are placed in a matrix of quantifiable values. Because such equations include many qualitative aspects, it also ignites a discussion of high complexity. There is also a clear dialectic between the expansion of the energy sector and the amount of land being preserved. The latest development, the Kárahnjúkar dam and power plant, introduced a new scale for industrial projects in Iceland. This project alone increased Iceland’s electricity production by 50 %. The dam is built in the Highlands, in an area which formerly was one of the largest areas of wilderness in Europe. 90 % of the electricity produced here is utilized by an aluminium smelter situated by a nearby fjord. It is a highly controversial project, and exemplifies a physical location where the three sectors industry/ tourism/preservation meet with conflicting interests. Still only 40 % of Iceland’s hydroelectric and 20 % of the geothermal potential is utilized. The Karahnjukar model is therefore expected to be repeated in several places in Iceland.

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1970s, where oil prices plummeted world wide. The government responded with a campaign to replace oil for space heating with geothermal and electricity. Within 10 years oil heating went down from about 50% of the households to 5%, while geothermal went up to about 90%. The last phase started in 1995 and is still continuing. This phase is characterized by a massive expansion of the power intensive industry, which currently consumes 80% of all electricity in Iceland.

Three sectors in growth Iceland has a population of approximately 300.000, of whom 60% live in and around the area of the capital city Reykjavik. During the second half of the 20th century, the country experienced an extreme and rapid development, changing from a poor nation based on agriculture and fishing to a highly developed welfare state. The harnessing of Iceland’s natural resources is seen as essential to further the development of the country.

POWER INTENSIVE INDUSTRY Because of Iceland’s special geography and position across the Mid Atlantic Ridge, there is an abundance of energy in the form of hydroelectric and geothermal resources. The hydro power potential is connected to a combination of three conditions: high precipitation, mountainous terrain and vast glacier water reserves. Geothermal energy is associated with the movement of the American and Eurasian tectonic plates which causes volcanic activity. The plates move apart with a speed of 1-2 cm per year, which creates hot spots in the form of high- and low- temperature fields. About 30 high temperature fields have currently been observed, which are areas of temperatures above 200 °C at a depth of 1 km. These high temperature fields can be harnessed through the use of bore holes that run generators from released groundwater steam. Geothermal power plants often co-generate both electricity and heat for space- and water-heating. Traditionally Iceland had a limited access to energy, due to the lack of woodland. Apart from the very local use of hot springs for bathing, cooking and washing, peat and imported coal represented literally all power consumption. However, this changed in the 20th century. The development can be divided into 4 phases. In the first phase the main focus was to electrify the country and replace coal, turf and wood for space heating with geothermal, electricity and oil. This period lasted until the 1970s. The second phase, from the late 1960s, involved the introduction of power intensive industry as a major consumer of electricity. The third phase is linked to the oil crisis in the

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The state owned energy company Landsvirkjun was established in 1965 with the strategic aim of developing power stations in order to attract foreign investors for power intensive industries. The strategy was, and still is, to export Iceland’s enormous hydro- and geothermal energy resources in the form of industrial products like aluminium. The most recent and contested of these projects is the Kárahnjúkar project, which consists of a dam in the highlands and an aluminium smelter in Reidarfjördur. Of Iceland’s total production of 16,835 Gwh electricity, 11,830 Gwh, or 74%, is used by the aluminium industry.

TOURISM The tourism industry has developed with speed during the last two decades. Between 2000 and 2009 tourism’s share of Iceland’s total export revenue was on average 18.8%. The growth in tourism can be exemplified by the number of passengers travelling through Keflavik airport, which has grown from approximately 250.000 in 1990 to 750.000 in 2010. Another such example is the whale watching industry, which in economic terms has surpassed whale hunting. From 1998 to 2008, the number of whale watchers in Iceland grew from 30.000 to 115.000. In Husavik alone this industry grew from 2000 watchers in 1995 to over 40.000 in 2008. As in the rest of the world, tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in Iceland. The growth has more or less developed by itself, but is getting more and more acknowledged by politicians as one of the most important parts of the economy. Up until as recent as 2010, with the establishment of Promote Iceland, there was no separate agency advocating Iceland abroad. The fact that the Icelandic Ministry of Industry and Commerce has changed its name to Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism also illustrates how the Government acknowledges the potential of tourism. In spite of this recent acknowledgment of the sector, there is very little Governmental funding. As an example, The Tourist Board only received 60 mill ISK (2.9 mill NOK) for environmental project funding in 2008, a number which today is reduced with 30% to 40 mill (2 mill NOK). As a comparison, the National Tourist Routes in Norway received over 100 mill NOK in 2010, which is over 50 times more. The lack of funding means there is practically no public money to develop infrastructure for tourist destinations, not even basic facilities like toilettes. Although the crisis affected governmental funding, it did not affect the number of tourists coming to Iceland. In fact, tourism seems to be one of the industries that survived the crash well. Icelandair is the one major player in the tourism sector. 94 % of all tourists that come to Iceland, come by Keflavik airport, where Icelandair has created a transcontinental route system.

The company has flights to Europe in the morning that return in the afternoon, and flights to the United States in the evening. Through this system, Icelandair is offering travellers between Europe and North America a stop-over in Iceland without extra charge.

construction of the Kárahnjúkar project. The fact that Hildur Runa Hauksdottir, the mother of the pop star Björk, went on a 4 week hunger strike also demonstrated that the subject of preservation is highly emotional and that people can go to extreme lengths in the fight against industry.

An important objective for the Icelandic Tourist Board is to spread the tourists geographically. This is both politically motivated as a means of spreading economic growth across the country, and to protect ecologically vulnerable areas from overuse. The political strategy of using tourism as a means of regional growth started about 30 years ago, when the government decided to support farmers in the development of guest houses as an additional income to agriculture. Today you will find a number of farms combining traditional farming with tourism. For some of them tourism has become their main income, while farming is a side product.

The amount of protected land in Iceland has closely followed the development of the power industry. This not only shows a general trend that modernity brings along growth in both sectors, it shows that there is a distinct form of dialectic between the two.

To compare different scenarios for use of the landscape, preservation authorities and the tourism sector are developing calculations of what landscapes are worth in terms of money. Obviously, this is a very complex calculation. One of the main critiques that often follow such calculations, is their method of discussing possible future uses.

PRESERVATION The Icelandic Nature Conservation Act no. 44/1999, defines wilderness as a clear and quantitative concept:

“Wilderness: an area of land at least 25 km2 in size, or in which it is possible to enjoy the solitude and nature without disturbance from man-made structures or the traffic of motorised vehicles on the ground, which is at least 5 km away from man-made structures or other evidence of technology, such as power lines, power stations, reservoirs and main roads, where no direct indications of human activity are visible and nature can develop without anthropogenic pressures”. In the publication “Iceland’s National Strategy for Sustainable Development 2002–2020” it is clear that this concept can be linked to value, both in an economical and what they call subjective sense:

The amount of protected area in Iceland has grown by a large percentage the last 50 years, from less than 1% of the country in the beginning of the 1970s to almost 15% of Iceland’s surface area today. This development follows a general trend in the rest of the world, were currently 13 % of the world’s land surface is protected. The largest protected area in Iceland is the Vatnajökull National Park, founded in 2008. It is the largest national park in Europe, covering 12% of the surface of Iceland (12,000 km2). The park was founded shortly after the finishing of the Kárahnjúkar project, and the two stand next to each other as gigantic monuments to the discussion around the value of nature. Seeing the two projects together also reveals that they are not in fact separate entities, they are both part of the same ecology. The protected glacier is in reality a totally integrated component of the Kárahnjúkar model, in that it acts as a gigantic reservoir of energy. The rapid development of the power intensive industry the last 15 years has created the need for an overall national planning tool in order to find out what areas should be exploited and what should be preserved. In 1999 the government therefore initiated the development of a national Master Plan for Hydro and Geothermal Energy Resources, the Rammaáætlun. The plan evaluates 84 sites that the power sector has proposed for exploitation. The work consists of different workgroups evaluating the impact through a point system, on fields like tourism, agriculture, biodiversity and cultural heritage.

“It is fair to assume that such wilderness areas will grow more valuable in the future, both in a straight economic sense in relation to the tourist industry and in a subjective sense as access to untouched nature is one factor contributing to the quality of life in modern metropolitan society.” As the publication also states, the value of these areas is contextual and relates to a global scale:

“Such areas continue to decrease globally, so it is likely that their value will increase.” Apart from the economic and recreational value of such areas, preservation is very much about the idea of value in it self. This was clearly evident with the protests surrounding the

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knowledge base

Methodically our approach to get insight about the debates, the actors and the issues at stake in Iceland was through meetings with people. We met representatives from both private companies and public institutions in order to learn about the three sectors. Our choice of method was based on the fact that development in

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Iceland is happening continually, making contemporary sources a necessity. Birna Björk Árnadóttir

Elizabeth Unger, doctoral student in Environment and Natural Resources

Karl Benediktsson, Professor of Human Geography

Anna Dora Sæthorsdottir, Department of Geology and Geography

Thorhallur Palsson, Guide at the Kárahnjúkar-dam (Architect)

Jón Cleon Sigurdsson, Communication

Elías Gíslason, Dir. of Information and Development

Sveinn Rúnar Traustason, Environmental Manager

tio

oa rd

na lP la nn

in g

Au th o

ce la nd

ris tB

rsi ty of I

ic To u

sv irk ju

ive

la nd

Ice

rit y

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Olga Gudrun Sigfusdottir, Architect Vatnavinir

Sigrídur Dögg Gudmundsdóttir , General Manager at The Vatnajokull Region

Björg Erlingsdóttir, Director at the Cultural Centre in Hornafjørdur

Thordur Halldorsson, The green link of Iceland

Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson, Branding Manager

Gudmundur Oskarsson, Dir. of Mkt and Bus Development

Jón Björn Skúlason, General Manager

rg y

En e

air gr ou

Ne w

la nd

Ice

Gullfoss Thingvellir Geysir Reykjavik Keﬂavik

RING ROAD TOURISTS GOLDEN CIRCLE TOURISTS AIRPORT TOURISTS

Fig. 1

Number of tourists

Currency rate ISK>EUR

600.000

0.0130

500.000

0.0110

400.000

0.0090

300.000

0.0070

200.000

0.0050

100.000

0.0030 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Tourism

Source: OANDA Source: Icelandic Tourist Board

Fig. 2

which is close to the airport. The weekend tourists stay in Reykjavik and drive the “Golden Circle” to get some highlights from the Icelandic nature and history (fig. 1).

The tourists visiting Iceland can roughly be divided into three groups. The “transfer-tourist” staying for a few hours in between flights, the weekend tourist and the “ring The tourism sector is growing and seems to be unaffected road-tourist”, staying for more than days. Iceland Of the 750.000 “Now’s the5 time, is the placebyless ﬁve hours thethan financial crises. In fact the crises might have had a passengers travelling through airport, 250.000 from Keflavik New York or Boston. This winter we’ve got lower positive effect, as the currency rate is decreased making it are “transit-tourists”. They “prices often go thecrisis” Blue Lagoon fortothe – a silver lining for visitors. Last cheaper to visit Iceland (fig. 2). year for one dollar we gave you 65 kronur. Now you get ICELAND 14 about 122 kronur per dollar to spend on one of the most memorable three or four day (or more) get-aways you’ll ever take.”

Means of transport in Iceland (%) Tour bus Rental car Scheduled

8 CM

METERS OF RUNWAY NUMBER OF INNHABITANTS

Fig. 3

1 CM

coach Borrowed car Own car

Summer 10 Winter 09-10

Other 0.1 CM New York

Oslo

Reykjavik

Fig. 4

Icelandair is the major player, and according to the Tourist Board it makes no sense to advertise in countries that Icelandair do not fly to (fig. 3).

Fig.5

own car. A majority use rental cars in the summer, a fact that is exploited in our design project â&#x20AC;&#x153;National Purist Routesâ&#x20AC;?. (fig 5)

Compared to the size of the population, Iceland has a lot of runway per person. (fig.4) Because Iceland is an island, very few tourists drive their ICELAND

Fishing

250

Agriculture

200

150

Coal

Other Industries

Utilities

Residental Consumption

Ferrosilicon Industry

Oil

100

Public Services 50

Aluminium Industry

74%

Hydropower

2005

2000

1995

1990

1985

1980

1975

1970

1965

1960

1955

1950

1945

1940

Geothermal

PRIMARY ENERGY USE ICELAND

2.000

4.000

6.000

8.000

GWh 10.000 12.000

CONSUMPTION PER SECTOR, 2009

Source: Orkustofnun

MWh ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION PER PERSON

53.9 50

1 L. OIL

28.5

= 14

USA

Norway

Iceland Sourrce: SSB, SI, WIKIPEDIA

Industry Iceland has an abundance of energy in the form of hydroelectric and geothermal resources, and the exploitation of these resources for industrial purposes has grown especially rapid since 1995; 74% of Icelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electricity production now goes to the aluminium industry. 16

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1 KG. FISH

NORTH AMERICAN PLATE

EURASIAN PLATE

HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATIONS GEOTHERMAL POWER STATIONS

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# {[Vc\V ' g j Â i h C^Âjg V{¨iajcVg gVbb

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ii gjhk¨

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Júní 20

16,835 GwH

16000

14,879 Km2 14000 12000

Vatnajökull National Park established

10000 8000

Kárahnjúkar dam finished

6000 4000 2000

1960

1970

1980

Amount of protected areas

1990

2000

2010

Gross consumption of electricity Source: Statistics Iceland

preservation Some of the recent activity in the preservation sector is directly linked to increased activity in the power and industry sector. In 1997 the Icelandic Government decided to develop a Master Plan for all potential hydro and geothermal power projects. Through this, they were seeking to find those 18

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projects best suited for developments based on energy production, economy and protection of nature. Similar work had never before been carried out in Iceland.The only foreign example known to the Icelanders was the Norwegian Master Plan for hydropower development which was first developed in 1984. The work consists of four working groups. Group 1 is

NATIONAL PARKS

focusing on nature, environment and cultural heritage, group 2 on recreation, fishing, hunting and agriculture, group 3 on social and economical impact and regional development and group 4 on identification of potential power projects, project economy.

parameters relevant to their specific subjects. The second part of the masterplan was finished in 2011 and is being discussed at the parlaiment.

The groups evaluated 84 potential sites proposed by the power sector, and gave quantitative scores based on ICELAND

“The Purist Scale”, used in the Nature Tourism evaluation process in the master plan.

S ES SS

NOT WIL WILDE DER RN N E m

25 km2

the purist scale: a parameter in the masterplan «The Purist Scale» is an example of how qualitative aspects are quantified and placed into a ranking system. This scale is used by the group that evaluates what (negative) effects the proposed power plants have on nature-tourism. The scale is based on the legal definition 20

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of wilderness as an area of minimum 25 km2 without any visible human installations.

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the kárahnjúkar project The most recent large scale industrial project is the Kárahnjúkar hydro electric power project which provides electricity for an aluminium smelter in the coastal town Reyðarfjörður. The smelter is owned by the American company Alcoa, and the project as a whole was highly controversial during the years of planning and building 22

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(2002 -2007). The dam project consists of three reservoirs and five dams where the largest one is 193 meters high and 730 meters long, the largest of its kind in Europe. From the dams glacier water from Vatnajökull, the biggest ice cap in Europe, is diverted 75 km through tunnels to an underground power station. Here the 690 megawatt generators deliver 4600 Gwh annually, an amount which increased Landsvirkjuns total power production with

transmission line

aluminum smelter

powerstation cargo ships road

reservoir

tunnel

national grid

60%, and Icelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total production with almost 50 %. The project was subject to massive protest because of its environmental impact, as well as for conditions for the foreign construction workers. The area in which the dam was built was formerly the second largest area of untouched wilderness in Europe.

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dam reservoir tunnel road

the model and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s components The model operates as an almost closed ecosystem as it consumes most of the energy it generates. VatnajĂ¸kull is the biggest glacier in Europe by volume and constitutes most of the VatnajĂ¸kull National Park. It functions as a giant battery for the power station and illustrates how natural systems like the flow of water are not limited by political boarders. 24

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national grid

runoff water

powerstation transmission lines

national grid

aluminum smelter

km cargo ships

1:500.000

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Above: Demonstration in Reykjavik Left: “Imported Landscape” by Petur Thomsen

POLARIZED DEBATE

documentary film was made based on the book.

With Karahnjukar, industrial expansion got the public’s attention. The debate is extremely emotional and highly polarized.

In his text “Scenophobia”, geography and the aesthetic politics of landscape”, Karl Benediktsson argues for a renewed attention to the aesthetic, including the visual, if responsible politics of landscape are to be achieved. He is pointing to the powerful effect artist’s and photographer’s work had on the general public during the construction of

Andri Snær Magnasons book “Dreamland: A Self-Help Manual for a Frightened Nation” became a best-seller in 2006. It has also been published in English, and in 2009 a 32

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Bjork's mother on hunger strike

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days into a hunger strike in protest at plans to

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Hildur Runa Hauksdottir is trying to stop the

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and power plant in the area above Vatnajokull in east Iceland.

Programmes aluminium producer Alcoa building a smelter

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Burglars raid Bjork's home

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SERVICES

Bjork, who has recently given birth to her second child, was one of the first critics of the huge scheme when it was proposed almost three years ago. Now Ms Hauksdottir, who helped her daughter produce her first record at the age of 11, is hoping her action will mobilise opposition to the project. "I'm more optimistic now than I was at the start of the hunger strike," she said.

Vatnajokull is marked by volcanic activity

BBCi: Radio 1 Bjork news BBCi: Radio 3 Bjork interview Bjork The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

Top Entertainment stories now: Fans await Beatles 'jam' footage Afghans repair broken heritage Mona Lisa smile secrets revealed Gallery unveils Titian show Spice Girls dismiss comeback plan Hello! executive denies 'court plot' Star Wars strikes $15m TV deal TV's Joe Millionaire picks his lady Links to more Entertainment stories are at the foot of the page.

"People are pledging their support and for me that gives me a lot of strength. "I don't believe that Alcoa or the Icelandic Government should underestimate the will of the Icelandic people." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2336349.stm

Page 1 of 3

the dam. Photos of the disappearing landscape made the formerly distant and unknown area into a place in most peoples consciousness.

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Existing power intensive industry Planned power intensive industry Planned geothermal ﬁelds Source: Raamaetlun, SavingIceland.org

Repeating the model

The neighbouring municipalities of Reyðarfjörður were all hoping for, and believed in economic and demographic growth of the entire region. Even though the aluminium plant employs 10% of the Eastfjord population, the expectations where not fulfilled. In spite of the lack of regional growth, municipalities all over Iceland are looking into power projects of their own in the hope of ICELAND

Planned reservoirs, tunnels and powerplants

attracting economic activity. After the construction of Kárahnjúkar, approximately 40% of the hydro- and 20% of the total geothermal potential is utilized, which means there may be many new projects in the future. One such project under development is a geothermal power station in Theistareykir, inland from the town Husavik. The project is being planned with the same model as Kárahnjúkar/ Reydarfjördur, also here with Landsvirkjun developing the

50 TWh-17TWh = 33 TWh

x8 power supply and Alcoa building an aluminium smelter by the coast. In most reports Iceland is referred to as a country with a 50 TWh energy potential. With deeper drilling and with additional means of energy this might be considerably higher, but 50 seems to be a likely number for a not so far away future. This is an additional 33 TWh from the

17 they have today. What are they going to do with all that energy? Build 8 more Karahnjukars? Are there other alternatives?

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PART 2. APPROACH

LOGICS

As the world’s energy needs are increasing, Iceland is facing a major industrial development. In this chapter we observe how a series of forces external and internal to Iceland affect this process. The Icelandic people is split regarding the question of how the natural resources should be handled. The tendency is to pick a side and get ready to fight. The conflict is characterized by strong emotions, yet decisions are being made as we speak. In order to explore the possibilities and potentials of Iceland’s future, we have, as outsiders, tried to take a step away from this polarized debate.

What logics are connected to the ongoing debate and reasoning in Iceland? And how does this materialize? By applying the idea of logics to the utilization of Iceland’s resources, the discussion around aluminium production gains new meaning. This also applies to the logics of electricity export through a cable to Europe versus staying unplugged. We also query in what way green has its own logic, and how logics can be applied to notions such as the cultural ethics of a time and its aesthetics.

We have used the term “logics” to help us bring a new perspective into the discussion. Our use of the term “logics” refers to how forces external to architecture transform and produce spatial products.

LOGICS

Icelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sgross foreign debt 1997-2008 % of GDP

800

700

600

500

400

300 Privatization of banks 200

100

0 1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Source: Central Bank of Iceland, Reykjavik Grapevine

SPATIAL PRODUCTS Economy, safety, preservation and political ideas all have their logics in the way they operate. These are logics external to architecture, but that likewise produce and transform space. The image shows an example from Reykjavik, where the spatial product of crisis is exposed. The roads, electricity, 38

LOGICS

sewage and even greenery at the roundabout is there, but the crisis hit before the actual houses where built.

LOGICS

CURTAINS BUT NO CLADDING Iceland was hit hard by the economic crisis in 2008. The crisis led to a deflated bubble in the real estate market and over a thousand apartments were still empty in Reykjavik in 2010. The economy seems to be recovering, but meantime some people have no choice but to live in their unfinished houses. 42

LOGICS

WW2:

COLD WAR:

1939 German attempt to establish transatlantic route. Not approved by Icelandic gouvernment 1941-42 Allied Arctic Convoys to Murmansk 1942-45 Allied refueling station for flights between UK and US 1942-45 Allied antisubmarine air cover

global logics - historical example Being an island, Iceland is naturally isolated. Despite this it is highly affected by global logics. During the second world war and then the cold war, Icelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s geographic location made it a defence strategic hotspot. The airport at Keflavik acted both as a refuelling station for planes crossing between the US and Europe, 44

LOGICS

1949-1990 Sound Survailance System (SOSUS of the GIUK gap (control of Soviet access to the Atlantic Ocean 1953-present NATO radar survailence 1951-1990 Over 1000 intercepts of Soviet aircraft took place inside Iceland's Military Air Defense Identification Zone

and as a base for controlling the North Atlantic. Until the end of the 1980s, civilians travelling to Iceland had to pass military check points to access their flights.

Sources: Wikipedia

In 1987 the first civilian terminal was built, and in 2006 the US army left Iceland. The example shows how the spatial product of one logic can be adopted and transformed by another. Keflavik is today the centre of operation for Icelandair, and the airport has changed from the logic of military defence to civilian aviation for leisure and business. LOGICS

The Spatial Product Of Crisis

The Spatial Product Of Safety

examples of logics These are some of our examples of architectures designed by different logics. The first example is the one we have discussed on the previous pages; the crisis hit and you cannot afford to finish your house. Other examples of logics that each have their architecture are a terror fence around a cruise terminal and the turning radius of the 46

LOGICS

steering wheel where you turn left if you want to go right. Our last example is based on rumours that claim that American suburbia was planned around the idea of damage control in case of nuclear war. By developing a low density urbanisation, one bomb would not wipe out the entire population, as it would have done in a compact city-centre.

The Spatial Product Of The Steering Wheel

The Spatial Product Of War

LOGICS

The Spatial Product Of Aesth-ethics -The Nation Building Logic

aesth-ethics Another speculation we have made is the connection between the cultural ethics of a time and its aesthetic. Power plants have gone from proud figureheads of modernity to become invisible underground structures. This development is linked to a shift of focus where leisure and untouched nature has became an asset for 48

LOGICS

national identity and tourism. The example is clearly present at KĂĄrahnjĂşkar. This issue will be discussed further on page 138.

The Spatial Product Of Aesth-ethics -The Wilderness Logic

LOGICS

Infocentre Power Project

Infocentre National Park

Power Station

5 km

POTENTIAL Cooperation As for the Karahnjukar-example (p.22) we found three buildings within a stretch of a few kilometres. One is the power plant itself, another the visitor centre for the power plant and the third is a visitor/information centre for the bordering Vatnajรถkull National Park. The two separate visitor centres illustrate the current conflict of 50

LOGICS

interests between preservation and industry. However, the communication of a renewable use of resources and the natural systems of nature should be possible to see as one thing. Both the power plant and the centre for the national park are state owned, and we see great potential in a future dialogue between these two.

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Inforcentre powerplant

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Power Plant

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Infocentre National Park

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promising combinations When the geothermal power plant at Svartsengi was built, they had problems pumping the water back into the ground because minerals where clogging the bore holes. A blue lagoon appeared, and people started to bathe in it. It soon became a major attraction, and today it is developed with a spa, hotel and restaurant facilities. The 58

LOGICS

fact that it is waste water from the power plant might be under-communicated, but if you are not to dizzy from all the massage and drinks, you might notice the factory in the background. Everybody agrees that the blue lagoon is an example of perfect symbiosis between industry and tourism, however it does not seem to serve as an ideal for future projects. The blue lagoon grasps the potential that is so unique in Iceland.

“Iceland’s key challenge is to increase value retained from use of its hydro and geothermal resources. Iceland’s power was not priced on international markets, but by negotiations. There was no market for the power unless an energy-intensive project was constructed.”

International Monetary Fund, June 2011 national grid

(Iceland: Advancing Tax Reform and the Taxation of Natural Resources)

runoff water

cargo ships transmission line

road powerstation

tunnel

reservoir

national grid

EXPORT

The Kárahnjúkar model

HARNESSING

GENERATION

The cable alternative

HARNESSING

GENERATION

PRODUCTION: ALUMINIUM

EXPORT

BRANDING PUBLIC SPACE

The experiment

HARNESSING

GENERATION

EDUCATION

? EXPORT RESEARCH TOURISM

SPIN-OFF The International Monetary Fund describes Iceland’s biggest challenge as the ability to get maximum value out of its natural resources.

The following pages look at three alternative energy scenarios for Iceland. The intention is to discuss what logics (and thereby spatial and cultural products) apply to the different scenarios.

Identifying potential overlaps and thereby spin-offs between industry and tourism in Iceland is the overall theme of this diploma work. LOGICS

IMPORT OF ALUMINUM OXIDE EXPORT OF ALUMINUM ALCOA BAUXITE TO ALUMINA REFINERY Sources: ALCOA

The logic of aluminium The production of aluminium, as exemplified by the Kárahnjúkar project (p. 22) is part of the global resource economy and can not be seen isolated from this. The aluminium smelter in Reydarfjördur alone employs 10 % of the east-fjords population, but has not proven to generate the basis of a more diverse way of existence. The 60

LOGICS

costal towns around Reydarfjördur built housing blocks for an expected growth of population, but this did not happen. Not even in Reydarfjördur. Most of the people moved to Egilstadir, the largest town in the area.

ICELANDIC ELECTRICY GRID NORTH SEA HVDC CABLE POSSIBLE DESTIANTION COUNTRIES EUROPEAN ELECTRICITY GRID Sources: Geni.org, Forbes.com

The logic of the cable Laying a cable to Europe will bring the price of electricity towards a European level. This will give Iceland more money per KWh, but higher energy prices will change the current condition where cheap electricity is the major attraction for foreign capital investments (if this is only aluminium smelters, a lot of people would see this as positive effect). Because the cable is expensive

to build, pressure to maximize power production will increase. Another factor is the branding-potential of being disconnected. A cable to the European grid will make it impossible to distinguish if the electricity comes from dirty British coal or clean geothermal production. Since electricity produced in Iceland is 100 % renewable, companies that wish to be associated with green values are and will increasingly be attracted to Iceland. LOGICS

6000 1 6000 The logic of green In spite of an abundance of cheap, green energy, Iceland still imports all its transport fuel in the form of oil. It makes sense for the country to utilize its natural resources for transportation, in stead of importing fossil fuels. Our assertion is that green industries have connotations that allow for spin-offs in relation to tourism. This is 62

LOGICS

illustrated by the example above. Icelandic New Energy, a small company researching hydrogen as a possible future green fuel for Iceland has had 6000 visitors during the last 10 years. In our interview with Icelandair they told us that for every business person that comes to Iceland, you later get 3 family members. If you drive an electric or hydrogen car in Europe, you

18000 donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how the energy is produced. In fact, a light and highly effective petroleum car might be better for the environment than a car driving on electricity from coal. In Iceland on the other hand, you know that the electricity comes from a renewable source. Because of this, companies like Carbon Recycling International are looking into the possibility of exporting Icelandic energy

as liquid fuel in the form of methanol. They are certain about success, in spite that their Icelandic methanol may be more expensive than methanol from other countries made from non-renewable sources.

LOGICS

ar c l al

n r= ge a o k r ù hnj n h y d a r o Kà 5 ts . a 0 o db n sa

CARS WHALE WATCHING FISHING

Iceland- a hydrogen economy? In 1998 Iceland’s prime minister released a statement announcing the ambition of moving the country towards a hydrogen economy. The ministers of energy and industry, commerce, and environment signed on, as well as both sides of the two-party Althing. Árnason obtained permission to start negotiating with interested members of industry (http://www.worldwatch.org/node/493). 64

LOGICS

We met with Jón Björn Skúlason General Manager of Icelandic New Energy. He told us that the belief in hydrogen as the fuel of tomorrow has gone up and down the past two decades, but that it is now rising again. The future is still uncertain and what technology the world will end up with is unknown. The most important thing at this stage is therefore further research and testing of different alternatives.

Icelandic hydrogen history:

2003:Opening of the world’s first pre-commercial hydrogen station in Reykjavik

1970: Hydrogen research begins at the University of Iceland. 1990: Discussions begin between the University of Iceland and Hamburgische Electricitets Werke regarding the potential export of hydrogen from Iceland to Germany.

Testing of the operation of hydrogen-powered buses commences in October.

1997: Governmental committee on domestic fuel production is formed.

Iceland is a founding member of the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy (IPHE).

1998: Political leadership – governmental policy on hydrogen.

2004: US Senatorial delegation, comprising John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, John Sununu and Hillary Clinton visited Iceland for a briefing on Iceland’s hydrogen projects

1998: Negotiations begin between Icelandic and global stakeholders on hydrogen

2005: The ECTOS bus project ends; reports on the various aspects of the experience are published

1999: Establishment of VistOrka (EcoEnergy) and Icelandic New Energy.

2006: A stationary fuel cell is put to test at Keflavik International Airport.North Atlantic Hydrogen Association (NAHA) founded; INE becomes the secretariat for NAHA.

2001: ECTOS project starts.

2007: The SMART-H2 in Iceland is formally announced. VistOrka funds the field testing of up to 30 cars according to availability for three years. The hydrogen station is declared open for the public; instructions and card reader mounted to facilitate monitoring and public use.

2002: Iceland joins the IEA – Hydrogen Implementation Agreement signed. EURO-HYPORT Project starts.

10 hydrogen-battery hybrids are integrated into service fleets and offered as renta-cars by Hertz. nation

2008: Reykjavik’s Energy becomes the largest shareholder in Icelandic New Energy

al pow

er grid

Auxiliary power unit on-board Elding is inaugurated.

hyd

elec

hyd

rog

ity i

tric

roge

elec

n st

orag

trol

fue

water oxygen

l ce

out

oxyge n

water

grid

water in

ysis

LOGICS

PART 3. DESIGN PROJECT

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

Iceland has an abundance of renewable energy. It is therefore an obvious goal to look for alternative green fuels for transport rather than importing oil. In 1998 Icelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prime minister stated the ambition of moving the country towards a hydrogen economy. Since then technology has been tested on a small car fleet in Reykjavik, on city busses and whale watching boats.

Through the design of seven filling stations the following chapter discusses how such a system can introduce new types of sites and commodities for tourism. It also shows how cooperation across sectors can take advantage of the investment capacity of the big actors, allowing the tourism industry to develop a much needed infrastructure.

The rental car fleet has a feasible size and complexity to become the next step towards replacing fossil fuels with renewable alternatives in Iceland. The National Purist Routes is a speculation on new uses of energy in Iceland. It consists of a network of hydrogen filling stations for rental cars, co-developed with the tourist industry as destinations throughout the country. The project demonstrates the advantages of not being connected to a transnational energy network by allowing Iceland to develop (tourist) products that are particular to them alone.

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

VistOrka

EXTERNAL PROGRAM TECHNOLOGY THE ICELANDIC ROAD ADMINISTRATION

ICELANDIC TOURIST BOARD

COORDINATION

VEHICLES

ENERGY

BRANDING

Fig. 1

+ Fig. 2

National purist routes - the ORGANIZATION The National Purist Routes is proposed as a Public-Private cooperation, where the Icelandic Tourist Board plays an overall coordinating role and Icelandic New Energy coordinates the technical aspects. Private partners like Hertz and Shell would provide cars and filling technology. Landsvirkjun would be responsible for providing 70

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

electricity to the electrolysers, as well as being the main investor in carrying out the fasilities. The filling stations will be an interface for the power industry towards the tourist. (fig.1) An essential part of the Purist Routes concept is the external program/activity that is co-located with the filling station, acting as a joker. This wild-card can consist

Feverscape

Fuel Farm

Into the Wild

Mussel Snitch Pixel Forest

New Eden

Meltdown Road Main roads 66 KV 132 KV 220 KV Filling station, design example Filling station

of any activity or event that is or has a potential to become a tourist destination. In the following chapter we have explored sites that span from a geothermal beach to a data centre. The advantage of using the rental car fleet when researching hydrogen is the fact that you can easily coordinate pumping technology with a limited number of cars of the same brand. (fig.2)

As a general principle, the sites chosen have two requirements beyond a tourist program. That is a sufficient number of people passing by and a closeness to the power grid. The map shows proposed sites where, as general rule, the ring road and the national power grid meet. The hydrogen is produced on site, by connecting to the grid. The larger symbols show sites we have designed. NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

Gullfoss Thingvellir

Geysir

Reykjavik

Hveragerdi Keﬂavik

RING ROAD TOURISTS GOLDEN CIRCLE TOURISTS AIRPORT TOURISTS

100

150

200 km

Hydrogen Historic site ﬁlling station

Hot spring

waterfall

New eden New Eden filling station is strategically placed in Hveragerdi, a popular place to stop for tourists driving the Golden Cicle.

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - NEW EDEN

The golden circle

greenhouse city

The Circle consists of three main attractions, and acts as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iceland in a Nutshellâ&#x20AC;? day trip. The historical UNESCO site Thingvellir, the waterfall Gullfoss, and Geysir (the first geyser described in a printed source and the first known to modern Europeans) are all national icons in Iceland.

Hveragerdi is located in a geothermal active area, and has therefore a large number of greenhouses in and around the town centre utilizing the free heat for allyear horticulture. Among them was Eden, a tourist site developed by a local farmer from the 1950s. NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

Eden 1.0 After a long day of siteseeing, Eden was the perfect place to stop for a coffe and snack, a banana photo-shoot, and a talk to the Eden Parrot.

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - NEW EDEN

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

photo: Sunnlenska

photo: Isak Jansson/flickr

Fire! In July 2011 there was a fire in Eden, destroying the building beyond repair. The owner quickly announced that Eden would be rebuilt, the Circle Tourists would not loose their drive-in paradise!

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - NEW EDEN

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

eden 2.0 -hydrogen and postcards New Eden is relocated to the centre of town, next to the geothermal park of Hveragerdi. The hydrogen filling station is co-located with a new greenhouse, letting the tourists take a stroll through the geothermal area, accompanied by a guided tour through the vegetable production, before having a lovely Caesar Salad and earth cooked bread in the Eden Restaurant. 78

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - NEW EDEN

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

The Production Walkway

greenhouse centre and local market As well as serving the Eden restaurant, the greenhouse acts as a link between the locals and the tourists by providing vegetables to a new local market. The market is part of a regional centre for greenhousefarmers, providing administration and distribution of local food. 80

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - NEW EDEN

Hydrogen Filling

New Eden Dining

Regional Greenhouse Centre

Local Market

Regional Greenhouse Distribution

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - NEW EDEN

Section/perspective of New Eden in the Geothermal Park

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

Geothermal powerstation

Hydrogen ﬁllingstation

Electricity

Thingvellir New Eden

Vegetable and ﬂower production

Regional administration and distribution

Heat from geothermal park

local vegetable market

Golden Circle Hveragerdi

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - NEW EDEN

Gullfoss

Geysir

Regional greenhouses

the eden ecology New Eden plugs into several different systems of energy, people and products.

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

How much do you produce per m2 in Icelandic greenhouses?

300 W-180 W per sqm x 15-18 h per day = 25 kg tomatoes

Thordur Halldorsson, The green link of Iceland

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

= r a k u j n n h o i a l r l a s i K e 1 7 mo n n t

Greenhouse production in an energy perspective 4.6 TWh of electricity, which is the amount of electricty being produced by KĂĄrahnjĂşkar, equals 7 million tonnes of tomatoes produced in greenhouses. This is approximately 5 % of the 150 million tonnes being produced worldwide.

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

meltdown Jökulsárlón, or “Glacier Lagoon“ is located below the Vatnajökull glacier and is a well known site for tourists along the Ring Road. Apart from a unique photo opportunity the filling station provides pure glacial hydrogen. 88

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - MELTDOWN

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

Hydrogen ﬁlling

Cooling of excess heat by melting

Hydrogen ﬁlling

Oxgen to atmosphere Cooling of excess heat by melting

Deoxo

Feed water to electrolyser

H2 Dryer

Compressor Electricity from grid

To fuel pump

Gas holder

to atmosphere lye Gas lye OxgenGas seperator seperator

Scrubber

Deoxo

Rectiﬁer Transformer Electrolyser Feed water to electrolyser

High pressure storage Lye tank

H2 Dryer

Electricity from grid

To fuel pump

Gas holder

Scrubber

Gas lye seperator

High pressure storage Lye tank

Compressor

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - MELTDOWN

Gas lye seperator

Rectiﬁer Transformer Electrolyser

glacial water, glacial energy To the north of Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier by volume, the Kárahnjúkar dam harnesses the glacial river for electricity. What better than using the same water to produce hydrogen?

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - MELTDOWN

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

fuel farm Like in other countries, the efficiency improvement of agriculture together with other factors has left abandoned farms scattered around Iceland. Fuel farm introduces a new use for such structures 94

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - FUEL FARM

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - FUEL FARM

fuel up and take a ride In combination with a filling station, the abandoned farm can be re-activated by activities like horse rental

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

INTO THE WILD The road developed by Landsvirkjun when building the Kรกrahnjukar dam is still there, although the lorries and construction machines are gone. Into the Wild suggests new activities made possible by the industrial project. 98

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - INTO THE WILD

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

Rainwater Glacier runoff water Ringroad Karahnjukar highland biking Hiking Vatnajökul National Park

Biking, hiking & angling By placing a filling station where the road takes of to the Highlands and combining it with a bicycle rental, a new entrance to the highlands is established. Because the road ends at the Kárahnjúkar dam, it is possible to close it off to cars without having to divert traffic. We propose a unique chance to cycle safely and 100

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - INTO THE WILD

Images from: gamli.strengir.is

Image from: silverrunpublishing.wordpress.com

undisturbed from motorized traffic on a perfect piece of asphalt in the middle of the wilderness. After a day of cycling you reach the dam, which marks the end of the road. From here you can go hiking into the Vatnajรถkull National Park, or follow the Jokla River to go angling.

After the dam was built, the Jokla river changed and the former wild glacier river has lost much of its glory. Yet through the human intervention new things occur. Because the dirty glacier water is now diverted and tunnelled, an unexpected outcome was a clean river that fish could live in and man angle.

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

101

Hydrogen ямБlling

Bike rental

Car pick up/delivery

Highlan

Lowla nd

102

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - INTO THE WILD

Vatnajökull National Park

erﬂow Dam ov

Fishing in Jokla

Iceland’s largest waterfall (every fall)

a Reservo

Bike rental

d lan

Hotel

ing

bik

Park and ride The flexibility of rental cars was demonstrated in the summer of 2011, when volcanic activities below Vatnajökull caused massive floods and destruction of a bridge on the ring road, disconnecting the south-east and south-west of Iceland. Tourists where offered to park their cars on one side of the river, be driven over by cross

country busses, and the car rental firms would provide them with new cars on the other side. A similar system could be formalized through a park and ride system at the entrance of the highlands. Charging the infrastructure with new meanings in such a way could open possibilities for other actors, exemplified here by a hotel on the dam. NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

103

photo: Tom Olliver

104

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - INTO THE WILD

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

105

feverscape Some of the not-so-green consequences of geothermal power production are hot rivers of excess heat (here exemplified by the hot river from Nesjavellir power station, killing fish in the nearby lake) and overexploitation of groundwater resources. Feverscape demonstrates a new use of excess heat. 106

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - FEVERSCAPE

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

107

national grid road

cargo ships Husavik

heat? electricity Theistareykir: 210 MW

1:200.000 25 km

Theistareykir - a geothermal edition of the kárahnjúkar model The next major power plant in line to be built is located in the geothermal area Theistareykir. The power plant is being planned similar to Kárahnjúkar, with power production in the highlands and power intensive aluminium production in a nearby coastal town. 108

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - FEVERSCAPE

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

109

Highland sunbathing Much like the Kรกrahnjukar dam, the construction of a power station at Theistareykir will require a well developed road infrastructure. Also here, the road holds the possibility of becoming an infrastructure for tourism, and thereby an access to the special and scenic nature in the area. 110

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - FEVERSCAPE

The excess heat from the power plant holds many possibilities for tourism, here exemplified by heated furniture.

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

111

112

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - FEVERSCAPE

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

113

Reykjavik distrikt heating system

Excess heat in summer

Hydrogen ﬁlling station

Nauthólsvík geothermal beach

114

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - MUSSEL SNITCH

Geothermal power station

mussel snitch Nautholsvik geothermal beach is already an established attraction for the inhabitants of Reykjavik. Hot runoff water from the city central heating systems was a popular bathing spot until it was closed in 1985, but reopened in 2000 with a service centre, sandy beach and a sheltered, heated lagoon. NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

115

L SSE U M CH IT SN

116

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - MUSSEL SNITCH

MUSSEL SNITCH The filling station by the city beach is covered with live monitoring information about the water quality in each fjord in Iceland. The technology is provided by the Norwegian firm Biota-Guard, where pulse and the frequency of opening and closing the shell of the blue mussel is meassured. The mussels on guard around

Iceland will give a live update about any toxic waste in the fjords. Even minor discharge will change the hartbeat of the mussels. You can also buy take-away mussels from any of the mussel breeding farms around Iceland to enjoy at the beach. NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

117

pixel forest A former NATO-base becomes a forest of computers - and a place to fill up your car before returning it to Hertz.

118

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - PIXEL FOREST

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES

119

120

NATIONAL PURIST ROUTES - PIXEL FOREST

BBC NEWS | Europe | US military set to quit Iceland

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The US has reached agreement with Iceland on how to end its military presence in the country.