Lækjartorg square, at the center of Reykjavík, will get a new look in the coming years, Vísir reports. The winner of a design contest that included a project for the square and the adjacent streets has been announced on March 4. The proposal “Civic Hot Spring” by Sp(r)int Studio, Reykjavík, and the Dutch landscape architecture company Karres en Brands has won by a landslide.
The contest was organized by the City of Reykjavík and the Association of Icelandic Landscape Architects. Following the announcement of the result, architect Karl Kvaran said the city center is complex and that it has been exciting to work with this area.
According to Karres en Brands statement: “The proposal aims to create a highly recognizable urban destination, true to its heritage yet bold and forward-looking. A perfect manifestation of the soul of Reykjavik with its collage of old and new buildings, intimate and monumental spaces, ephemeral and enduring interactions and forward-looking population.”
The project’s proposal addresses the harsh Icelandic climate and maximizes sun exposure and wind protection. “The Halo” in the center of the square aims to provide shelter during bad weather or be used during various street performances. Read more about the proposal here.
Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the Prime Minister of Iceland said: “I stand here as a neighbor of Lækjartorg. I am very much looking forward to seeing the development of this idea where we work to make the environment viable.”
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