Architects: Konstantin Arkitekter
Area: 9 m²
Year: 2021
Photography: Julien Lanoo
Manufacturers: Dow Building Solutions, WonderGlass
Concept, Design, Development And Construction: Konstantin Ikonomidis
Site Manager: UNESCO World Heritage Site, Aasivissuit – Nipisat: Paninnguaq Fleischer Lyberth
Adhesives Research: Faidra Oikonomopoulou and Telesilla Bristogianni, TU Delft Glass & Transparency group
City: Sarfannguit
Country: Greenland
Qaammat Pavilion designed by Konstantin Arkitekter in Sarfannguit, Greenland celebrates and promotes the Inuit intangible cultural heritage and traditional environmental knowledge. Completed in 2021, this pavilion serves as a landmark and gathering point in a UNESCO World Heritage site, reflecting the natural and cultural landscape.
The Qaammat pavilion, located in Sarfannguit, West Greenland, is a cultural landmark celebrating Inuit heritage. Designed by Konstantin Ikonomidis, it honors traditional environmental knowledge.
The pavilion’s location, selected by the local community, UNESCO site manager Paninnguaq Fleischer-Lyberth, and Ikonomidis, offers stunning views of the Sarfannguit municipality. Positioned on the trail between Sarfannguit and Nipisat, it serves as a gathering point for locals and visitors, allowing them to experience the World Heritage site’s beauty.
The pavilion is both poetic and symbolic, acknowledging the rich history and distinct Greenlandic culture.
The site choice reflects a deep respect for nature and a balance within the landscape. The pavilion’s subtle presence blurs the boundary between man-made structures and the natural terrain. Its foundation, anchored in the rocky terrain with 40-mm holes and rock anchors, mirrors typical local construction methods.
The pavilion features a custom-made stainless steel bracket with circular geometry attached to metal poles. The curving glass block walls form a linear pathway open at both ends, serving as the entrance.
The glass ‘shell’ plays with transparency, scale, and weight, creating a surreal effect. The solid cast glass bricks, made by WonderGlass, were developed in collaboration with glass specialists from TU Delft University. Technical research on the glass was conducted by Faidra Oikonomopoulou and Telesilla Bristogianni, using Dow Inc adhesive during a seven-day on-site workshop.
Supported by Qeqqata municipality, Sisimiut Museum, Paninnguaq Fleischer Lyberth, Kloe Andersen, the community of Sarfannguit, TU Delft University, WonderGlass, and Dow Inc.
The project integrates landscape, culture, and human stories. The design, inspired by the moon, Arctic light, and snow reflections, reflects site-specific research and the architect’s earlier work on the concept of home. The pavilion embodies local experiences, stories, and myths poetically.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Sarfannguit, Greenland
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
