Seaside Gardens Gufunes Design, Reykjavik waterfront, Iceland Building Development Images
Seaside Gardens Gufunes, Reykjavik waterfront design
7 July 2021
Seaside Gardens Gufunes, Reykjavik waterfront, Iceland
Design: jvantspijker & partners / Felixx Landscape Architects / Andersen & Sigurdsson Architects
Location: Gufunes, Reykjavik, Iceland
Unanimous victory for Dutch-Danish team in Iceland
Rotterdam-Copenhagen-Reykjavik, 7th of July 2021 – Team G+, a collaboration of Rotterdam based offices jvantspijker & partners, Felixx Landscape Architects and Andersen & Sigurdsson Architects from Copenhagen, has won the urban planning & architecture competition organized by SPILDA development for the northern waterfront of Gufunes, Reykjavik in Iceland. Their proposal, Seaside Gardens, was unanimous winner in this two-stage competition. The plan provides 45.000m2 of mixed program on an area of 4ha and is to be developed in the coming 5-10 years.
‘Seaside Gardens’ strongly emphasizes the local identity of this waterfront area, tapping into both the unpolished atmosphere of the existing industrial area and the rugged natural setting of the coastline to create a resilient, mixed use neighborhood. The new settlement has the potential to become a diverse and bustling community with great connections to both the city life as well as to the shoreline, the sea, and breathtaking views on the mountains across the bay.
“The winning proposal is realistic and extremely well presented. It fulfills the emphases and goals of the jury well with a simple and clear overall vision. The division into key areas is purposeful with good connections between them and in accordance with the basic goals of the plan for Gufunes as a whole.” — jury report
The competition area was divided into three parts, each with its own distinctive characteristics, bonded together by a distinctly urban fabric of streets, squares, paths and gardens. The Garden Campus is a lush residential area with urban villas in the green, positioned to maximize sea views and create sheltered, sunny gardens. This green residential area by the sea is simple and stylish, which works well and creates a good connection between the beach area and the courtyards.
The City Street runs parallel to the seashore and is designed to create an intimate, sheltered atmosphere. A divers series of buildings with neighborhood functions are playfully positioned along this urban spine that joins the green residential area to the slender towers at the cliff’s end.
The third key area, Beach Towers connects the City Street with the magnificent Gufunes cliffs and Cinema Square in front of the RVK film studio’s, creating a highly urban spot that refers to the geothermal water & the sea-beach, activating the plinths around the square with spa, sauna, health center and cafés & restaurants. Cinema Square, at the white beach, will be a kind of “head” of the project at the end of City Boulevard, a lively square with all the potential to become an attraction in itself and connect the Gufuness area as a whole.
“The clear narrative brings coherence to the design’s wide variety of public spaces, on both large and small scales. Good collection of different buildings, houses well located and many places available for the residents of the neighborhood. Connection to cinema square and public spaces is very well solved, forming sheltered squares and convincing places to stay. “ — jury report
Gufunes Masterplan
The development of this adventurous area is both a next step and a first piece of the puzzle that ivantspijker & Felixx already laid out in 2016 with their winning masterplan for the whole Gufunes area.
About the competition
The competition was organized by Spilda developing company and endorsed by Arkitektafélag Íslands, the Icelandic Architects Association as well as FILA, the Icelandic Landscape architects Association.
The jury consisted of:
Anna Sigríður Arnardóttir, managing director of Spilda (chairman)
Björn Ingi Edvardsson, landscape architect, FÍLA
Gísli Reynisson, CEO of Spilda
Karl Kvaran, architect, FAÍ
Kristín Brynja Gunnarsdóttir, architect from the tenderer
Contact on behalf of the competition organization was Helga Guðjónsdóttir, of the Association of Icelandic Architects.
The five teams selected for participation
TMMN: Tendra Architecture, MAD, MUD and NoMad
Team G +: jvantspijker & partners, Andersen & Sigurdsson Architects and Felixx Landscape, Architects & Planners
KAMBAR: A2F Architects, Landmótun, Ferli verkfræðistofa and Myrra hönnunarstofa
Arkþing ‐ Nordic and Landhönnun
S.ap Architects and Lendager
Team G+
jvantspijker & partners: Architecture and urban planning
Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners: Landscape and public space
Andersen & Sigurdsson Architecten: Architecture
Consultants
Steengoed: Wellness & Hospitality concept & development
Peter Andreas Sattrup: Sustainability
Images © jvantspijiker+Felixx+Andersen&Sigurdsson
Seaside Gardens Gufunes, Reykjavik waterfront images / information received 070721
Location: Gufunes, Reykjavik, Iceland, north western Europe
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