project date: 2007 | by peter reedijk

On a sunny day in the summer of 1912, after five days of ominous earthquakes, a volcano exploded into the upper part of Ukak River Valley, along Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. It was the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century and one of the biggest in the history of humankind.

In 2001, the National Park Service completed a log-construction visitor center overlooking the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes (the name given to the valley after the eruption) and contracted Sea Reach Ltd. to plan, design, and fabricate exhibits.

Travel by boat, floatplane, and 4-wheel drive, logistically, this visitor center is not easy to visit.
A small jet takes you from Anchorage to King Salmon - from King Salmon, a small float plane will take you into the Park. From where you get dropped off, it is a three-hour drive on a one-lane, gravel, grizzly bear infested wilderness road to the visitor center. The journey is worth it, however, as the center sits on a ridge with a 360 degree view of an ash filled valley.

We designed exhibits that could make the journey, install on site without electricity, and withstand extreme conditions (the building is not heated during the nine months of winter).