Perla norðursins ehf, the company that holds the lease for Reykjavík’s famed landmark Perlan, has submitted a proposal to Reykjavík City Council for a new attraction at the site: a virtual elevator ride into the depths of the Earth, to witness the interior of a volcano.
“Into the volcano”
According to the proposal, the site would be roughly 100 metres squared and just to the west of the Perlan structure. The attraction, tentatively called “Into the Volcano”, would offer guests a virtual “elevator ride” some 2,000 metres down into the Earth.
The journey itself would began at an active volcano in Reykjanes, depicting lava flow and ash near Grindavík. As passengers descend into the Earth, screens would depict what they would see if they could literally sink into a volcano unharmed. In addition, there would be a display showing how deep into the Earth the guests are descending, what the temperature is at a given depth, and other data points.
A physically present guide, or a voiceover narration, would explain to guests further what they are witnessing. The entire journey would take about seven minutes.
A trial run
The proposal states that Perlan would cover all the costs to create the exhibition and would pay the City of Reykjavík 1 million ISK per year in rent. They are asking for a three-year trial run of the attraction.
