Iceland is home to active volcanoes, green valleys, hot springs, glacier-cut fjords, black sand beaches, and Northern lights. Where else nature and outdoor lovers can find a place with all these distinctive landscape features? The site is located in the middle of the astonishing Icelandic landscape, on the east coast of Lake Mývatn, a place, where anyone could detach from their daily life and have direct interaction with the nature and the surroundings.

The architectural concept of The Panorama Pause is based on a simple and efficient plan solution. The building consists of a traditional pitched roof cottage form, revolving around a circle. The guest rooms are arranged around this circular core, accessible by a common corridor. Rooms are closed from the corridor side, yet transparent from the opposite side towards the nature. Therefore, as well as reaching the privacy and intimacy they need, the guests could choose the rooms according to their own desired view, as each room gets a unique outlook. The direct connection between the interiors and the nature was the key factor to be addressed in this design.

The solo-room, a space for physical and mental isolation, is situated in four spots around the circle, and provides the retreat and the solitude, that guests desire for. However, the common kitchen and living room, in addition to the central courtyard, provide collective spaces for the guests to gather, meet and interact. 

In order to have the least impact on the landscape and the environment, the whole building is lifted from the ground, has the minimum footprint on the site, and leaves the inner courtyard to be the best spot for the outdoor hot bath, where guests could lay in, relax, and enjoy the uninterrupted scenery.

The building is held by series of walls made of wooden structure, and resting on the concrete base. The overall design is in accordance with the frame of sustainable goal settings. The building utilizes a geothermal pump, located under the building, which provides the heating and cooling. The guesthouse, almost entirely made of timber, is clad on the exterior with Larch-wood, and blends naturally in the surrounding.