Practical reasoning suggests we should flee from flowing lava emerging from active volcanoes. However, professors J. Jih, Cristina Parreño Alonso, and Skylar Tibbits from MIT’s Department of Architecture at the School of Architecture and Planning have prepared to travel to southwestern Iceland in expectation of a forthcoming volcanic eruption. The Nordic island has been undergoing a phase of heightened seismic activity, with seven volcanic eruptions occurring in its southern peninsula in less than a year.
Earlier this year, the faculty constructed and positioned a set of lightweight, easily deployable steel frameworks near the volcano, at sites where some of the recent eruptions occurred; additional structures await delivery in trucks to locations where fissures open and lava seeps out. Cameras are strategically positioned to capture the moments when lava comes into contact with these structures, aiding in understanding lava flows.
This innovative research investigates the types of shapes and materials that can interact with lava and effectively redirect it away from areas such as habitats or crucial infrastructure in its path. Their efforts receive backing from a Professor Amar. G. Bose Research Grant.
“We’re attempting to envision new frameworks for infrastructure regarding lava and volcanic eruptions,” remarks Jih, an associate professor of the practice. “Fortunately for us as designers, tangible prototyping is the sole method to evaluate some of these concepts.”
Presently, the Icelandic Department of Civic Protection and Emergency Management and an engineering firm, EFLA, are rerouting the lava using colossal berms (approximately 44 to 54 yards in length and 9 yards tall) constructed from earth and stone.
The berms defending Grindavik, a nearby town, a power plant, and the beloved Blue Lagoon geothermal spa have yielded mixed results. In November 2024, a volcano erupted for the seventh time in under a year, necessitating the evacuation of local residents and guests and staff of the Blue Lagoon. The parking area of the latter was engulfed by lava.
Sigurdur Thorsteinsson, Chief Brand, Design, and Innovation Officer of Blue Lagoon, as well as a designer and partner at Design Group Italia, was present for this and several other eruptions.
“Some magma intruded into the town of Grindavik, leading to the destruction of three or four homes,” states Thorsteinsson. “One of our team members watched her house submerge beneath magma on television, which was quite emotional.”
While staff at Blue Lagoon have become proficient at evacuating visitors, Thorsteinsson adds, every eruption forces the tourist destination to close, disrupting the lives and livelihoods of local residents.
“You cannot truly halt the magma,” Thorsteinsson, who is partnering with the MIT faculty on this research initiative, explains. “Its power is overwhelming.”
Tibbits, associate professor of design research and founder of the Self-Assembly Lab, concurs. His research delves into how to navigate or collaborate with the forces of nature.
Last year, Tibbits and Jih found themselves in Iceland on another research initiative when erupting volcanoes interrupted their activities. This caused them to consider ways to redirect the lava.
“The inquiry is: Can we identify more strategic interventions that could engage with the lava instead of combating it?” Tibbits poses.
To examine which materials might endure such interactions, they invited Parreño Alonso, a senior lecturer in the Department of Architecture, to collaborate with them.
“Cristina, being the department expert on magma, was a clear and significant partner for our initiative,” Jih remarks with a grin.
Parreño Alonso has been studying volcanic rock for years and has led design studios that investigate volcanic rock as an architectural material. She has also proposed designs for structures that interact directly with lava flows and is currently researching molten volcanic rock and melting basalt at MIT’s foundry alongside Michael Tarkanian, a senior lecturer in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and director of the Metals Lab. For this endeavor, she is examining molten rock’s potential to substitute concrete, a common construction material due to its versatility.
“It’s thrilling how this concept of collaborating with volcanoes has begun to materialize from different perspectives within the same department,” Parreño Alonso expresses. “I cherish how these parallel interests have cultivated such a fruitful collaboration.”
She also envisions further opportunities by partnering with these natural forces.
“We are keen on the possibility of generating something from the interaction with the lava,” she states. “Could it transform into a landscape that evolves into a park? Numerous opportunities exist.”
The steel structures were initially tested at MIT’s Metals Lab with Tarkanian before being constructed on location in Iceland. The team aimed to create lightweight structures that could be swiftly deployed in the field, yet sturdy enough to withstand destruction. Various designs were developed; this version incorporates V-shaped structures that can direct lava around them or be reconfigured as ramps or tunnels.
“There is a road that has suffered from many of the recent eruptions and must continually be rebuilt,” Tibbits notes. “We designed two ramps that could potentially function as tunnels, enabling lava to flow over the road and forming a lava cave where vehicles could traverse beneath the solidified lava.”
Tibbits asserts that the structures currently in the field are merely an initial intervention. After documenting and assessing their interactions with the lava, the architects will generate new iterations, which they believe will ultimately become essential infrastructure for regions worldwide with active volcanoes.
“If we can demonstrate and validate which forms, structures, and materials can redirect magma flows, I believe this research holds tremendous value,” Thorsteinsson concludes.
Thorsteinsson spends half of the year in Italy and suggests that the volcanoes there — Mount Etna in Sicily and Mount Vesuvius in the Gulf of Naples — present a greater threat than those in Iceland due to the nearby densely populated areas. Volcanoes in Hawaii and Japan face similar demographic challenges.
“Any knowledge acquired about diverting magma flows and the types of structures required would be invaluable,” he asserts.