Baugur Bjólfs Nominated for the Icelandic Design Awards 2026

Baugur Bjólfs is a circular viewing platform at Bæjarbrún, rising 650 metres above Seyðisfjörður and offering exceptional views from the mouth of the fjord and inland through the valley. Designed by Arkibygg and Esja Architects, Baugur Bjólfs has been nominated for the 2026 Icelandic Design Awards in the category Place.

Through the simple form of a circle, narrative, experience, accessibility and structural engineering come together as a unified whole. The form of Baugur is symbolic, connecting to the history of Seyðisfjörður while also serving as an integral part of the structure and its technical efficiency.

The project creates a new destination in the landscape surrounding Seyðisfjörður, making the fjord’s dramatic scenery accessible to visitors. The circular structure functions as both a walking route and a viewing platform, offering a continuous, step-free path with integrated seating areas. Visitors can walk, pause and experience the ever-changing views in every direction, without a predetermined viewpoint or route.

The circular form of the project does not emerge in isolation but is rooted in the place itself and the story of Bjólfr, the settler said to be buried in the mountain. The ring references a silver ring imagined as part of Bjólfr’s grave goods. In this way, Baugur creates a subtle connection between local history and the surrounding landscape without competing with the scenery for attention. Above the platform, the peaks of Bjólfr rise prominently, further strengthening the structure’s relationship with its surroundings.

The simple form creates the space while simultaneously acting as the load-bearing structure. The closed ring provides strength and structural stability, resting on specific support points and projecting out over the mountain’s edge, while the structure’s continuous form unites the walking route and seating areas. The design also follows the contours of the landscape and makes the site accessible to wheelchair users.

The jury considers the architecture an outstanding example of how aesthetics, functionality and structural engineering can be brought together, with each element supporting and complementing the others as part of a coherent whole. The choice of materials, exposed concrete, stainless steel and larch, creates a silvery-grey palette that blends harmoniously with the surroundings, withstands demanding weather conditions and requires minimal maintenance.

Baugur Bjólfs brings space, experience and structural design together in an innovative way. Its circular form provides the structure with strength while enabling it to project out over the mountain’s edge. It is architecture in which aesthetics, functionality and engineering reinforce one another.

The project was designed by Ástríður Birna Árnadóttir and Stefanía Helga Pálmarsdóttir of Arkibygg and Auður Hreiðarsdóttir of Esja Architects in collaboration with landscape architects Anna Kristín Guðmundsdóttir and Kjartan Mogensen, and Arnar Björn Björnsson of exa nordic.

The Icelandic Design Awards 2026 ceremony will take place at Gróska on 5 November, accompanied by a related discussion. Save the date!

The Icelandic Design Awards highlight the importance and quality of design and architecture in Iceland, emphasising their impact on quality of life, value creation and sustainability for society as a whole. The awards will be presented for the thirteenth time this year, across three categories: Product // Place // Project. In addition, an award for Best Investment in Design and the Icelandic Design Awards Honorary Award will be presented.

The Iceland Design and Architecture Centre organises the awards in collaboration with the Museum of Design and Applied Art and the Iceland University of the Arts, with support from the Housing and Construction Authority, Business Iceland, Gróska, the University of Iceland Science Park and Blue Lagoon Iceland.