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PROJECT REPORT: CULTURAL, CIVIC & FAITH BUILDINGS
place during cold and dark winter months. “Winters are long and very hard in the region, with a lot of snow as well as long nights, so the environmental factors were challenging for all the team,” says Nissen. The remote location also meant a lack of specialist constructors, both for the exhibition and the associated graphic design elements, which were signifi cant and included display boards, infographics, maps, illustrations and descriptions. The team opted to work with a Danish contractor whom Nissen Richards Studio had worked with previously on a number of Nordic projects and who they knew to be reliable. Also, this contractor had an Icelandic employee; they functioned as a “key link person to build and liaise,” explains Nissen. Much of the exhibition itself was built remotely, both in Denmark and elsewhere in Iceland, and then assembled onsite. Although the remoteness added challenges, the practice benefi tted from experience of exhibition design. “We’re specialists, so we were able to pull on aspects from many previous different exhibitions,” says Nissen. Having worked internationally for a number of years including multiple Nordic projects, “undoubtedly helped in our approach here,” she adds, “especially in
terms of working with international teams and suppliers.”
Responsive design
From the outset the design of the exhibition was “entirely responsive to the surrounding landscape,” Nissen says. Initial ideas in terms of design, materials and colour were all driven by the volcanic nature reserve the centre sits within which is “renowned for its birdlife and unique volcanic and geothermal activity,” she explains. Specifi cally, the lake and surrounding wetlands proved a direct source of inspiration for the exhibition’s colour palette – blues and greens. It also inspired the use of stained timber furniture in the space; this was “in keeping with the stunning landscape all around,” Nissen says. However, also important – arguably more so – was to not compete with the panoramic views that surround the centre, “but to design the exhibition in harmony with them,” explains Nissen. “This meant that the exhibition design is arranged at quite a low level to frame the views, so that individual exhibits act like elements of the landscape, rising up from the table level.” The team were working with the existing building, which had been primarily functioning as more of an information
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ADF JULY/AUGUST 2026
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