Crystal blossom on the fjell
Glass Pavilion in Greenland by Konstantin Ikonomidis
© Julien Lanoo
The village of Sarfaanguit, which is home to 100 people, lies on a fjord that extends deeply into the interior of western Greenland. It is the only settlement still in existence in the Aasivissuit-Nipisat area, which was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2018. This was reason enough for the heritage site’s management and the community of Queqqate to commission Swedish architect Konstantin Ikonomidis with the design of an unmistakable landmark for the area.
© Julien Lanoo
The pavilion rises from the craggy fjell landscape like a fragile, crystal bloom. Delicate steel feet anchored in the rock bear the two spherical segment shells of glass bricks; these shells are around 2 m in height and have a total diameter of 5 m. The structure was built by people from the village, and it was developed by Ikonomidis in collaboration with glass specialists Faidra Oikonomopoulou and Telesilla Bristogianni of TU Delft.
© Bertrand Verney
© Julien Lanoo
Approximately 1,000 glass blocks with the classic brick format measuring 24 x 11 x 5 cm were supplied by a manufacturer from Murano, a district of Venice. As the bricks were to be glued together in an invisible − i.e. transparent − fashion and the layer of adhesive must withstand winter temperatures as low as -30°C, only a silicone-based adhesive would do. The pavilion was erected in the summer months, at temperatures slightly above freezing. The inauguration took place in October 2021.
© Julien Lanoo
© Julien Lanoo
Lorem Ipsum: Zwischenüberschrift
Architecture: Konstantin Arkitekter, Konstantin Ikonomidis
Client: Unesco World Heritage Aasivissuit – Nipisat Gemeinde Qeqqata
Location: Sarfannguit (GL)
Construction management: Paninnguaq Fleischer-Lyberth
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