A SHELTER IN GREENLAND
Over the course of 10 days during the summer of 2021, architect Sami Rintala and a team of 14 architecture students and graduates from across the globe came together in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, with the intention of exploring the potential of building a structure from recycled materials. The project formed part of a larger initiative led by Projekt 67 from Norway.
The structure should be able to survive the harsh arctic climate, and serve the local community and its’ visitors for years to come, and only leave the most essential traces in the landscape.
The final structure is made from reused wooden doors and shipping boxes formed into three V-shaped walls held together by nails found at the dump. These walls are cladded on the outside with dry stacked stones harvested on site.
Drawing inspiration from the Inuit sign of the Raven, the final structure forms an intimate and introverted space that gently contrasts the dramatic setting between the river and the black vertical cliffs of ‘Raven Mountain’ or Tulugaq qaqqat.
The final structure is made from reused wooden doors and shipping boxes formed into three V-shaped walls held together by nails found at the dump. These walls are cladded on the outside with dry stacked stones harvested on site.
Drawing inspiration from the Inuit sign of the Raven, the final structure forms an intimate and introverted space that gently contrasts the dramatic setting between the river and the black vertical cliffs of ‘Raven Mountain’ or Tulugaq qaqqat.
Sheltered from the strong winds, the fjord, the mountain, and the river are framed by the doorways formed between the three free standing walls, offering the local community a space for gathering and reflection.
