
FACTS
Location: Reykjavík, Iceland
Year: 2020 -
Status: Ongoing
Program: Kindergarten and family center
Size: 1,200m2
ABOUT
Jury statement:
"The proposal responds very well to the competition brief and programmatic needs. The building form is simple but refined with rounded corners and clad with a metal mesh which creates an interesting play of shadows, visual depth, enclosure, and transparency. The color scheme is low-key but lively. The building fits extremely well in the urban context. The interior of the building creates an interesting counterbalance to the external appearance. Cross laminated timber ribs give the space both warmth, rhythm, and continuity. These contrasts give the building its uniqueness, effectively when viewed from the kindergarten grounds and roof gardens. The building is arranged on three floors. The main entrance is from the garden, which in an interesting way connects the plot and the kindergarten. Entrance to the central axis, a spacious common multi-purpose area, which is open to the dining area and up to the second floor. Classrooms are arranged along the north and south sides and there is direct access from them to the garden. The staff and family center entrance is from Austurbæjarbíó, and the service entrance is from Grettisgata. On the second floor are the classrooms of the oldest children as well as staff facilities. From the common areas and classrooms on the second floor there is access to the roof garden. From the roof garden there is good access to the kindergarten plot via wide stairs and a slide. The family center on the third floor is connected to a separate roof garden that gives children and parents the opportunity to adjust their needs to the quiet outdoors. The family center can be easily transformed into a classroom areas if needed. "
CREDITS
Architecture design: Basalt Architects
Design team: Anna Björg Sigurðardóttir, Dagbjört Ásta Jónsdóttir, Hrólfur Karl Cela, Marcos Zotes, Rut Sigurmonsdóttir, Sigríður Sigþórsdóttir
Landscape design: Landslag
Fire safety: Örugg Verk
Structural Engineering Consultant: Degree of Freedom
Engineering: VSO
AWARDS
1.Prize design competition More info here