In
Reykjavik, Iceland capital they wanted to build a big new hotel in Ingolfstorg,
a public existing plaza in Kvosin, the city historical center, very close to
the Iceland Parliament.
The
program was asking for a way too big building that couldn´t work well with the
existing city pattern. There are no big buildings on this area.
OOIIO
Architecture team decided to break the big hotel into 2 hotels. This decision
make all the program to work much better, not only because the size of the
buildings is more suitable with the historical center, also because the client
could build now the buildings in different phases, and if he wants, use
building A as a 5 stars hotel and building B as a 4 stars hotel, so the scheme
is more flexible for its economical benefits.
Ingolfstorg,
is an existing public plaza in Reykjavik, which needs to be recycled. There are
several bars, restaurants and shops, but it is looking a bit neglected. The
area, with a great location, definitely needs a clean-up. Building a new
interesting hotel over there could help on that. Unfortunately, the brief was
asking to occupy most of Ingolfstorg open public space, and the city was going
to lose this open area forever.
OOIIO
Architecture decided to combine the client requirements of building enough
hotel space and facilities to get good economical benefits from it, and to
provide new and interesting public areas to not loose public square meters for
the city.
The
proposal is a combination of a good and functional hotels, restaurants and
shops, mixed with very contemporary public areas, opened to the city of
Reykjavik, looking forward to become a new city attraction. This combination
public + hotel and commercial will definitely become a great profit for both,
city and the hotel developer client.
All
the 130 hotel rooms have natural light and ventilation, and public areas,
street level and roof are well combined with commercial spaces.
To
attract even more public to this new building-open space, OOIIO Architecture
decided to design a light-patio installation on the center of the main
building, that combined with the ground excavation, generates a great
contemporary space able to be used as a cultural platform for the local or international
artist, where they can project any kind of light performance. It will become a
space similar to what it is now Times Square for New York or Piccadilly Circus
to London, but in a new format and on a adequate scale to Reykjavik.
The
lower level on this public space can be used as a open theater, with
restaurants, shops and the hotel lobby facing it, and from it the people can
take panoramic escalators that take them all the way up to the public
sculptural hotel roof, where they can get a new panoramic view from all Kvosin
central Reykjavik area. All the intervention will became very quick as a new
touristic attraction, transforming the neglected existing plaza, into the best
possible location for the new hotels and the existing commercial surroundings.
The
hotel façade wants to indicate the singularity of the buildings and is inspired
in traditional Icelandic bread. It creates a double skin for the buildings that
unify all the intervention, providing movement and texture at the same time
that it protects from direct sun radiation inside.
Design:
OOIIO Architecture
Project
Team: Joaquín Millán Villamuelas, Belén Gómez Mendiguchía, Javier Urrutia
Sanchez, Kristinn R. Ólafsson, Gema López March, Marta Cacho Guinea.
Images: Entrecotas
Area:
4700 m2 above ground.
Location:
Reykjavik, Iceland.facebook: ooiio architecture