Set back from a cliff overlooking the water, the old barn structure consisted of two parts: a taller volume with gabled ends, and a wide addition off one side with a sloping shed-style roofline. No doors, windows, or actual roofs remained – just holes where they used to be. Aiming to keep as much of the concrete structure in place as possible to preserve its aged and weathered character, the architects decided to insert a lightweight two-story timber structure into the original volume, mimicking its shape.

Preserving the crumbling concrete required some creativity. The old barn was made of thick and stable mass concrete, but most of its walls lacked foundations, and some were very fragile. They decided to retain only the perimeter walls, leaving them in a ruined state peppered with lichen and patchwork patterns of local pebbles. They also stabilized the existing structure and lined the barn floor with a reinforced concrete raft to ensure the home wouldn’t continue to deteriorate after the renovations were complete.

New openings were created sparingly to avoid compromising the structural integrity of the old concrete shell. One was added to let more light into the kitchen, and another adds a separate entrance to the art studio so the homeowners can move large artworks in and out. Both the new openings and the original ones were diamond-cut to a smooth surface that contrasts with the roughness of the outer facade. On the ground floor, Studio Bua placed a kitchen and dining space adjacent to the studio, giving them all a floor of polished concrete.

The client, an artist, had previous experience staining plywood and wanted to experiment with adding light washes of color to the birch walls. She and the architects collaborated on a palette inspired by the colors of the meadow as they shift from green in spring to yellow in winter and purple in late summer. On the second floor, the white stained pine boards and plywood surfaces are left in their natural color to complement the darkness of the concrete and stone. A plywood staircase leads from the ground floor dining room to a mezzanine sitting room overlooking a double-height space, with both rooms taking advantage of the massive amount of daylight emanating from a fully-glazed end facade.

Outside, the walled garden might just be the coolest part of this old-meets-modern renovation. Protected from both strong winds and hungry wildlife, the garden preserves the framed views of the original windows and doors, now open to the air, and uses the remains of the original interior walls as row dividers.

The architects also chose a number of materials that are uniquely Icelandic in character. They explain that “the cladding of the new volume is corrugated Aluzinc – a reflective material that takes the color of the sky and meadow around the house, changing with the seasons and weather embodying the lightness of the inserted volume. This allowed us to extend to a second story without overpowering the concrete barn. From our experience working in harsh climates, this rather industrial material is one of the few cladding options that can withstand the extremes of weather.”

“The corrugation is also a reference to a local building tradition. From the early 20th century corrugated steel has been used diffusely in Iceland in rural and urban settings for all typologies. Most dwellings and farm buildings in the area are partly or completely clad in this material.”

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That’s what architecture firm KRADS has achieved with its “Holiday home by Þingvallavatn,” which perches on a densely vegetated hilltop sloping in the direction of Lake Þingvallavatn. This lush, intensely green landscape, with views of viridian and black hills in the distance, informed the shape, appearance, and layout of a vacation home for a couple. The design consists of three staggered planes following the contours of the terrain, almost as if the home were a natural extension of the hill.

“An essential part of a good building is a good client, they say,” explain architects Kristján Örn Kjartansson and Kristján Eggertson of KRADS. “This general principle felt particularly present in the process surrounding Tina Dickow’s and Helgi Jónsson’s holiday home. As performing artists, they showed an unusual understanding around the creative process, and all the aspects it involves. This led to a journey that was characterized by an enthusiastic exchange of thoughts and ideas which were anchored in a common understanding of materiality and general expression. This created an atmosphere of mutual trust and openness between the architect and the client that one rarely experiences. We hope this feeling is conveyed in the finished house.”

The north-facing facade of the home faces the sparkling lake, poking up and out of the hill like new growth. The roof, planted with grasses and moss in the Icelandic turf house tradition, slopes down toward the ground on the south side, interrupted by a void that separates this section of the building into two volumes. KRADS designed the layout to take full advantage of the lake view while integrating the home into its surroundings. A southwest-facing terrace ringed by trees provides peeks of the mountains Jórutindur and Hátindur.

The design team explains that “apart from the terrace, the immediate surroundings of the building are so densely vegetated that they are close to impenetrable. Preserving the landscape as pristine as possible was a major intention in both the design process and during the construction of the house. In return, the greened roof is established as an accessible plane. Access to the roof can be gained from inside, from the house’s sleep and play loft, or from the outside where the slope starts at the foot of the integrated boat shed. Following the ascend, standing at the top of the roofs edge above the trees, the landscape opens up in a magnificent and ever-changing panorama towards the lake and the surrounding mountains.”

Inside, an older turf home dating back to the 18th century or earlier would most likely consist of either earth, stone, or timber panelling (usually imported, since Iceland doesn’t have a lot of timber of its own). But this home is all contemporary luxury with its smooth white walls, whitewashed wood floors, and timber details. A sunken living area and an adjacent tile-clad tub hidden beneath bench seating enjoy some of the home’s most stunning views.

The post Moss-Draped Holiday Home in Iceland Bridges the Space Between Lakes and Mountains first appeared on Dornob.

These foam pyramids alternate in a polychromatic pattern of columns, beginning at the ceiling and cascading boldly down the wall. The effect draws the observer’s eye down into the store’s icy man-made grotto, and of course, to the ice cream counter that features frosty treats in shades of mint, chestnut, and peony pink.

“The idea was to create an abstract ice cave,” says the design firm’s founder and namesake Tobia Zambotti in an interview with mbl.is. He adds that “the project description was very simple. What I had to do was design something Instagram-friendly and iconic with a strong ID.”

The design certainly accomplishes those goals with its use of dramatic shapes and colors, making it ultra-popular on social media platforms around the world. That exactly’s what Gunnar Gunnarsson, managing director of the Perlan, was hoping for when he commissioned the project to “change Icelandic ice culture.” His aim is for the ice cream, produced on site, to entice patrons to linger longer at the museum, delving deeper into its geological displays.

To have the installation fit into the landscape of those exhibits, including the ground floor’s 330-foot real ice cave made from 350 tons of snow, Zambotti wanted the art to be an immersive experience. He had the triangular icicles constructed of sound-dampening foam that hushes the mechanical drone of the nearby freezer. “I decided to use this material because the ice machine is very loud,” he explains succinctly. The insulated design acoustically adds to the cave-like feel of the ice cream parlor.

The 540-square-foot shop also features a stainless-steel shelf at the back that highlights the menu and is illuminated with LED light strips that reflect the cool, glacial hues of the ceiling. On top of that, the main counter is constructed of sleek white Corian, producing the visual effect of a polar wall of ice.

Originally from Italy, Zambotti studied architecture in Vienna and interior design in Milan. Upon graduation, he got a position in Shanghai working with award-winning design firm Alberto Caiola Studio. After a year in China, Zambotti traded his chaotic life for a “very quiet one” in Reykjavík where his wife already lived.

That transfer put him in connection with the Perlan and director Gunnarsson. One of the country’s most popular museums, the Perlan sits on a hill 200 feet above sea level and is built on top of six giant water tanks, each containing over 1,000,000 gallons of water pulled from underground hot springs. The objective of the building’s exhibits, according to the Perlan website, is to let guests “see, hear, and feel the power of volcanoes, earthquakes, and geothermal energy.” It features planetarium shows of the northern lights, a cinematic underwater tour of Iceland, and an augmented reality cliff-face experience.

The onset of the COVID-19 crisis diminished initial public exposure of the ice cream shop installation after its June grand opening. However, Gunnarsson is pleased that foot traffic is increasing now, allowing the shop’s innovative Zambotti design to gain more widespread notice.

The post Tobia Zambotti Makes Super Cool Icicle Ceiling Art for Icelandic Ice Cream Parlor first appeared on Dornob.

Completion of Harpa stemmed from the efforts of multiple engineering and design agencies. For starters, Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson designed the south facade, developing the principle for the remaining three and roof in collaboration with Henning Larsen Architects and Batteríið Architects. On top of that, Eliasson designed multiple interior lighting fixtures that work both artistically and functionally in conjunction with the exterior elements.

The concert hall epitomizes the concept of contemporary design with a layered glass facade around its exteriors and roof. The entire design also appears to float above the foundation with very few points of contact. Colors reflect through and from the columns of glass to form a continually eye-catching display.

Not only does this glass structure offer striking visual components, but it also works to reduce lighting costs. That’s because the high quantity of glass creates playful shadows and striking lighting effects all throughout interiors. Of course, this design does work in direct contrast to some functional aspects, so the designers really had to consider how to protect the building from often-harsh Icelandic weather conditions, including rain, snow, sleet, and high winds. In addition to this, the location of Harpa next to a busy road meant the design also had to buffer against vehicle noise from the outside. This was tackled by leaving the sound to Artec Consultants Inc, a US consulting firm responsible for the acoustics and sound design of the main theater, as well as the sound equipment in all the Harpa’s venues.

The icing on the cake of this brilliantly built concert hall is its collection of resident musicians, who bring entertainment, culture, and history to the surrounding community. Current residents include the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Maximus Musikus, the Icelandic Opera, and Reykjavik Big Band.

Local communities aren’t the only ones to acknowledge the structure. Harpa has gone on to win many important awards since its completion, including the prestigious 2012 Mies Van Der Rohe award. Design peer Teglgaard Jeppesen from Henning Larsen Architects responded to the accolade: “On behalf of the team I would like to thank the European Commission and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe for this award. We are immensely honored. Harpa is the result of a collaborative process that has involved many people, and with their efforts, strong commitment, and drive, Harpa has become a symbol of Iceland’s renewed dynamism.”

Wiel Arets, Chair of the Jury for the award, says: “Harpa has captured the myth of a nation — Iceland — that has consciously acted in favor of a hybrid-cultural building during the middle of the ongoing Great Recession. The iconic and transparent porous ‘quasi brick’ appears as an ever-changing play of colored light, promoting a dialogue between the city of Reykjavik and the building’s interior life. By giving an identity to a society long known for its sagas, through an interdisciplinary collaboration between Henning Larsen Architects and artist Olafur Eliasson, this project is an important message to the world and to the Icelandic people, fulfilling their long expected dream.”

The opera’s other notable distinctions include:

USITT Architecture Award 2018

Best Meeting & Conference Centre in Europe 2016 – Business Destinations

Local Favorite Award 2016 – The Culture Trip

Best MICE Centre in Northern Europe 2012

Best Public Space 2012 – Arkitekturmassan Awards

Edinburgh Civic Trust Award 2012

The Cultural Award for Architecture 2012 – Icelandic newspaper DV

The Icelandic Concrete Award 2012

The Icelandic Heating, Ventilating and Sanitary Award 2012

Best Performance Space Design Award 2011 – Travel&Leisure Magazine

Harpa Plaza – the Best Public Nordic Space 2011 – Arkitekturmessan in Gothenburgh

Wayshowing – IIID Awards 2011

One of the 10 Best Concert Halls and Inspiring Structures of the Millennium – Gramophone Magazine 2010

World Architecture Award 2010

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A concept inspired by Helsinki Design Week, Design Diplomacy is a discussion-based event set in a political forum. That forum is a foreign ambassador’s residence, where the general public is invited to listen to both an Icelandic designer and a designer from the ambassador’s home country discuss topics chosen at random from a deck of cards. What makes it more interesting than the average moderated panel discussion is the fact that these unexpected questions give rise to unscripted answers. Wits, attitudes, theories, and personalities clash in full view of an audience that cannot even begin to predict the next moment.

“Design Diplomacy seemed to fit well with our festival’s vibe,” says Anna Koziol, a Project Manager at DesignMarch. “There’s no VIP invitations and red carpets.” The organizers of Design Diplomacy, and of the festival as whole, endeavor to bring people into spaces that are not typically open to the public, and the residence of an ambassador is definitely a place that fits into that category.

The process of organizing these events does require some diplomatic preparation in the sense that the appropriate designers must be chosen for the discussion. Although the results may be unexpected in terms of the reaction elicited, the planning is purposeful. “Sometimes the choice is supported by international programs that the (hosting) country in question is a part of in a given year,” says Koziol. “This year, the US Embassy invited Leena Cho from Arctic Design Group as a part of their Arctic research program.” Guests can either be emerging creatives or established professionals, because any two people are likely to at least have a few commonalities regardless of their professions. “In most cases, the designers only get to meet each other at the event,” explains Koziol, “yet, of course it has happened that some of them would have already met at some other, professional or not, occasion before.”

Every participant of Design Diplomacy (the ambassador, the two designers, and the public) receives a kind of qualitative benefit. The designers get to share their experiences, habits, business advice, and ways of thinking. Sometimes, two designers might even informally plan to work with each other during the event. At a minimum, the foreign designers get to engage with the local ones, who serve as ambassadors to various design disciplines in Iceland. The audience gets to watch the dialogue inside a space that is publicly inaccessible — something that brings a certain novelty and candor to the conversation in and of itself.

If everybody else learns from the experience of Design Diplomacy, then what’s in it for the ambassador whose residence is the scene of the talks? “Design Diplomacy is a soft-diplomacy force of a kind,” Koziol explains. “Each Ambassador/Embassy gets a chance to shed some light on their country’s culture to both the local scene and foreign guests of the festival. Embassies get a chance to reinforce their importance in cultural exchange, as opposed the perception of being very formal visa-issuing institutions, [an idea] that seems to be very prevalent among the general public.”

It’s especially nice to see architects and designers coming together for amicable discourse because it has not always been the case in the past. Previously, architecture was a profession at war within itself, with philosophical and stylistic differences dividing professionals into several different camps. Some cynics would say that it is still a profession at war within itself, but not like it was in the past. Now, there are bigger issues to tackle than choosing between sparse ornamentation or none at all. Global issues like climate change, rapid urbanization, human health, terrorism, political unrest, and refugee crises make the battles of the past look petty in hindsight.

Diplomacy has a way of bringing realities into focus and turning differences into advantages that everyone can learn from.

The post Design Diplomacy: What Happens When Two Designers Walk into an Embassy first appeared on Dornob.

Just about any Iceland hotel sounds like an absolute dream, but this one is extra special. In fact, it might just be the most desirable winter getaway we’ve ever seen. Designed by architects Minarc, both of whom are natives of Iceland, the Ion Hotel is situated in the middle of some of Iceland’s most beautiful natural features.

This isn’t a luxury spa getaway, however. This minimally decorated hotel doesn’t focus on creature comforts; rather, it allows each visitor every opportunity to enjoy the intense beauty of its surroundings.

The low building is situated on a hillside, with one end protruding out over the lower ground. It looks like a gigantic concrete shipping container which has been fitted with countless windows. It was designed to be as unobtrusive as possible to the breathtaking surroundings. Geothermal heating comes from surrounding hot springs, and other indigenous materials such as driftwood and lava were used in the hotel’s construction.

The Ion sits next to Lake Thingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland, and among the slopes of the Hengill volcano. This terrestrial beauty is breathtaking, but from the Northern Lights bar one can even see the aurora borealis lighting up the night sky.

There are, of course, a few luxuries to make the trip even more memorable. The lava (magma, technically) from the volcano warms the outside pool, making it into an artificial hot spring, or lava spa. We would gladly give up television, room service and probably even a bed for a chance to stay in this haven of natural Icelandic beauty.

More from the architects

“The vision for the Ion Luxury Adventure Hotel was truly holistic, requiring a design that reflects the natural beauty of the region with clarity and simplicity, in a manner that is environmentally considerate, while appealing to the desire for luxury that attracts the upscale adventurer—a desire that has been redefined by expressions of luxury that are smaller, more personal and intimate, and eco-responsive.”

“Knowing this, and understanding that a built environment often has a profound impact on the natural environment, our approach was to create a hotel experience as dramatic and otherworldly as the natural Icelandic surroundings, where the built and natural environments can coexist, integrate, even synergize.”

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