Ring of Bjólfur is a circular viewing platform on the mountain ridge above Seyðisfjörður, Iceland, at 650 metres above sea level.
The name is inspired by Bjólfur, the first settler of Seyðisfjörður, who according to legend was buried on this mountain. His silver ring, never found, gave the project its form and name.
This is a collaborative project that Arkibygg designed together with ESJA Architecture, exa nordic, Anna Kristin and Kjartan Mogensen.
The platform forms a continuous ring, framing a 360° experience: from the fjord and town below to the valley and peaks above. Walking it, views shift with each step. A cantilevered section reaches beyond the mountain edge, and the ground falls away beneath you.
The brief was to create a viewing destination that improves accessibility, safety, and visitor experience, while establishing a new point of interest to support and attract tourism to the region – all while remaining sensitive to the surrounding landscape.
At 650 metres above sea level, the site is exposed to strong winds, snow, and rapidly changing conditions. Limited access and a short building season shaped every decision from design to construction.
The platform rests lightly on the terrain, supported on a minimal number of foundations and partially cantilevering over the mountain edge, reducing ground impact while creating a real sense of exposure. A slight slope across the ring enables natural drainage and keeps the structure in respectful dialogue with the landscape beneath it.
The ring forms a continuous, step-free route with integrated seating – somewhere to walk, pause, or simply stand still. There is no single viewpoint, no prescribed direction. The experience reveals itself as you move.
Prefabricated formwork and reinforcement cage, produced by contractor MVA, was transported to site for assembly and casting. The railing is modular and was also brought prefabricated to site. This minimised on-site work in a remote and demanding environment.
Board-form concrete and steel were chosen for durability and low maintenance in harsh conditions. The restrained material palette lets the landscape speak for itself.
The project addresses a specific challenge: how to create a meaningful public destination in a remote and exposed landscape without large-scale intervention.
The innovation lies in the precision of a single gesture. The circular form simultaneously organises movement, frames views, and provides structural stability – three problems resolved at once. Rather than directing visitors toward a fixed viewpoint, the ring generates a continuous sequence of perspectives, each one distinct, none more dominant than another.
The closed geometry also enables structural efficiency. The platform is supported at a minimal number of points, reducing its footprint on the terrain, while the cantilever extends the experience beyond the mountain edge without requiring additional structure. Prefabrication further enabled assembly in a remote location with limited access and a short construction season.
In typological terms, the project moves away from the viewing platform as a fixed point of arrival and toward something closer to a spatial promenade – where walking is the primary act and views are revealed gradually rather than presented all at once.
The result is a project carried by a single geometric decision. The simplicity of the circle resolves structure, function, and experience all at once.
