Vzory

concept and project: Martyna Rajewska, Agnieszka Chromiec, Justyna Król, Katarzyna Krakowiak /2016
illustration: Magda Biernat-Białek

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Empty landscape, vast in its loneliness and beauty. The hiker on a path, walking through it. Flat pressure of wind and rain constantly challenge everything, that opposites the primarily horizontal order of the landscape. Rocks, adamant to invisible strength of the wind, are the fixed points of the landscape. The hiker notices bright, flickering spot in a stillness. It becomes bigger and warmer as they approach it. House hidden along the horizon. Hideaway among rocks. Between its layers, it provides shelter from ruthless environment and allows to enjoy warmth and cosiness before setting off to another journey.

Led by gentle glow, the hiker can distinguish the shape of a house between irregular surface of the surrounding boulders. Even though, it looks like it was uplifted with the rest of rocks as a result of tectonic movements. While approaching the building, hiker is welcomed by a hint of warm yellow, so unusual in Icelandic landscape. Stepping under the roof next to yellow wall, they can finally straight their back after whole day of hunching in defence against powers of nature. Closing the external door, hiker leaves howling wind behind and find themselves in sudden silence. After a while, they start to recognise sounds that haven’t heard for the whole day – laughter, gentle murmur of the conversations, knock and thump of used objects. Hiker can relax now, they’ve found roof over a head for a while. They take off the hood and unzip their jacket, as they find the second door leading to the main common space of the building. Hiker is welcomed by warmth and sounds of human interaction. With relief, backpack goes off, together with jacket and shoes. Hiker can feel their spirits lift up by lack of weight on the back and the overall cosiness of sounds echoing in the interior. There is a fireplace right opposite the entrance. Gratefully and almost unconsciously, hiker reaches towards it in order to feel this heat. There is another fireplace on the other side of the room. Between those two points, there is a long table. Those three elements together, create a centre of whole building’s life and activities. Other occupants use this space in order to prepare their meal, drink something warm and socialise.

 

Presence of fire enhance the sense of community, as for centuries it was a symbol of home, break in journey, and security. On the left, there is a row of tents behind light, semi-transparent membrane. After a second there is a realisation, that those are not individual tents erected by each of the travellers, but row of structures resembling them, with fabric stretched over it. Those two layers of fabric create an acoustic barrier between main common room and sleeping area. But also it recreates the cosiness of cocoon, warmly wrapped in layers for psychological comfort and thermal barrier. Thanks to the level difference in the building, eye height of the people laying under the tents, those sitting by the table and standing in front of it is on the same level. And many of travellers were often glancing towards the right side of the building. Their sight is drawn by the vast horizon, visible and constantly present, through big panoramic window. They soon spot a newly arrived fellow hiker. Nods, smiles and greetings are exchanged. Time to make this place home, so hiker picks up their backpack and proceeds further in the room.

Fire crackles and warms up people gathered around it. They hold mugs in their hands and stare longingly through panoramic window on the landscape and far horizon, that kept their company for many hours. Then they turn to other travellers, laugh and join conversation. They will challenge the nature and meet this landscape tomorrow. Now they focus on current moments, more transitory than still horizon.