Fall 2018

Cornell University Arch 4101 Design VII

Professors: Dorte Mandrup and Marianne Hansen​

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, is a primary tourist destination year round due to it being the only location in Greenland that has a fully functioning airport and harbor. The weather and topographic conditions are ideal and thus on average only one plane is canceled per year due to poor conditions. Greenland attracts a wide variety of people for various outdoor activities which include but are not limited to: recreational tourism, hunting, fishing, and science. In addition to this, Kangerlussuaq is situated at the edge of a UNESCO world heritage site that is a major passage between the icecap and the sea; a source of freshwater that must be preserved. The famous arctic trail is a primary artery which allows for people to interact with the UNESCO site, and happens to flows right through Kangerlussuaq on its way to the icecap.

Cargo and tourist ships arrive by way of the Sondre Stromfjord; one of many long, narrow, and deep inlets which bridge the sea and the Greenland icecap. Due to the increasing number of people coming to Kangerlussuaq each year by boat and plane, there is a need for summer accommodations. Construction can only occur in a 4 month window during the summer, therefore the structure must be built off site, shipped, and assembled with relative ease. The site is 2km east of the current harbor, meaning that the transportation of shipping containers can be easily excused. The Kinetic Wall Greenlandic Summer House proposal aims to be topographically reconfigurable and seasonally flexible. The design consists of a series of interlocking walls which hinge together and can be shifted up or down depending on the slope. These walls act as a flexible piece of furniture; the floor, shelves, hooks and ETFE enclosure all fold out of the modular system. The back of the wall is also activated as a place to store fishing and sailing equipment along with other amenities needed by the occupant. This kinetic and hyperfunctional design would be an ideal solution to the need for tourist housing without harming the existing natural landscape or environment.