Arnhildur Pálmadóttir, architect joins the lineup for DesignTalks 2025

A versatile specialist with an entrepreneurial attitude, architect Arnhildur Pálmadóttir has a passion for inspiring change in architecture and the construction of buildings. Founder of s.ap architects and head of the Icelandic branch of Lendager, the Danish architectural firm, Arnhildur is the recipient of the Nordic Council's Environmental Award 2024 and will be Iceland's first representative at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2025. 

DesignTalks takes place on the 2nd of April in Harpa, Reykjavik with the theme of the Source.

Arnhildur has an interdisciplinary interest that she uses to tackle projects from various perspectives and has written articles and texts related to innovation, technology and sustainability in design and construction as well as giving lectures on the subject. She runs the Icelandic branch of the Danish architecture and innovation company Lendager, which specialises in sustainability and circularity in construction by designing buildings with half the carbon footprint of conventional buildings. She is also the founder of s.ap arkitektar that focuses on speculative architecture projects and envisions new worlds and systems that encourage innovation and transformes the way we think about buildings and structures. One of s. ap architects ongoing projects is investigating the possibilities of controlling active lava flow to create structures and cities. The project, called “Lavaforming” will be Iceland's first representative at the Venice Architecture Biennale this year. In 2024 Arnhildur received the Nordic Council's Environmental Award for interdisciplinary interest, focus on reducing CO2 emissions and increasing circularity in the building industry.

"There must be a way to figure out new systems and methods for living a modern life without destroying fundamental ocean currents and messing up the weather."