Stöng

Stöng, located in the Þjórsárdalur valley, preserves one of Iceland’s most important Viking Age longhouses. Buried by the eruption of Hekla in 1104 and excavated from the 1930s onward, the site and its associated remains provide valuable evidence of an early settlement landscape.

This presentation examines the architectural design of the new interpretive structure conceived to protect and reinterpret the site, while also enhancing visitor facilities and improving access from the main road through the provision of information areas, resting spaces, footpaths, and a footbridge.

The project investigates how contemporary architecture can engage with fragile archaeological remains without overshadowing them. Through an adaptive reuse approach, the design mediates between landscape and artifact, light and darkness, and surface and subsurface conditions, enabling visitors to encounter the longhouse both as an archaeological ruin and as a carrier of cultural memory.

Developed by SP(R)INT Studio in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Agency of Iceland, the project brings together heritage conservation, environmental sensitivity, and spatial narration. The completed work received the Green Shovel Award 2025 for Sustainable Reconstruction in Iceland and has also been nominated for several national and international awards.

Dr. Sahar Ghaderi Kvaran /Architect, Researcher, and Associate Professor at the Iceland University of Arts

Dr. Sahar Ghaderi Kvaran is an architect, researcher, and Associate Professor at the Iceland University of the Arts, where she also serves as Program Director of the Master of Architecture. With more than fifteen years of experience in Iceland, France, and Iran, her work spans architecture, urban design, cultural heritage, and artificial intelligence, and sustainability.

Karl Kvaran / Architect and Urban Planner

Karl Kvaran is a French-Icelandic architect and urban planner. Having participated in numerous international projects, his exploration of contemporary architecture focuses on trans-cultural and multi-disciplinary thinking, challenging the notion of the interpretation of spaces. He is the co-founder of the Sprint Studio office.

The lecture is a part of Hugarflug, the annual research conference of the Iceland University of the Arts,

Further information on the lecture here.