Smiðja, office building for Alþingi is the winner of Place at the Icelandic Design Awards 2024.
Smiðja, office building for Alþingi by Studio Granda is the winner of Place of the Year at the Icelandic Design Awards 2024. Smiðja is a top-quality city monument that honors Icelandic creativity and craftsmanship.
From the jury:
Smiðja is a six-story building on the corner of Tjarnargata and Vonarstræti in Reykjavík, which combines offices and meeting rooms for members of parliament and the staff of Alþingi. Studio Granda designed the building following the results of a design idea competition in 2016.
The shape of the building and the pattern of windows are discreet at first glance. Still, the purposeful stone facade attracts attention with its reference to cultural relics of Kvosin and the country's geological history. Ribboned exposed concrete and stone, visible both outside and inside, are characteristics of Studio Granda’s architectural style. Once inside, these become even more apparent, especially on the highly trafficked first floor, which is mainly intended for daily committee meetings. Stone is the main character of the exterior look of the building, and its central role is also apparent indoors on the walls and floors. All the stone in the building was leftover material from other construction, therefore no mining was done for this project.
The main entrance facade includes an art piece by Kristján Hrafnsson, and the reception area ceiling is covered by an installation by Þór Vigfússon. Other floors with oak walls and natural-colored offices offer a more subdued atmosphere. The building serves many people and purposes, yet the design is flexible, with the possibility of combining meeting rooms through variable and movable walls.
The architects have focused on Icelandic materials and craftsmanship, and the design is meticulously executed. Interior furniture is a mix of reused pieces from Alþingi and new items designed by Erla Sólveig Óskarsdóttir and manufactured by Á. Guðmundsson.
Smiðja is a top-quality city monument that honors Icelandic creativity and craftsmanship.
The building is representative of Studio Granda Architects, where the focus is often on ribboned exposed concrete, Icelandic stone, and oak. In this work, Margrét Harðardóttir and Steve Christer showcase their strength in their field with the powerful interplay between discipline and compliance made evident in the finest detail. Meanwhile, they guide the eye by following their own house rules, such as ensuring the angle of a floor pattern and a wall wood grating are always in a north/south orientation or by making the shapes and material of exterior layers follow through to the interior.
The architecture results from a competition for design ideas announced by AÍ and FSRE on behalf of Alþingi, for a building with diverse and intense activity. The result is a building that represents both discipline and passion for design. It was the best possible design for this purpose, executed by the most cost-efficient developer, and delivers a holistic intellectual work with excellent craftsmanship. It is a building that Alþingi, Icelandic designers, and the nation as a whole can be proud of.
Hermann Jónasson, CEO of The Housing and Construction Authorities of Iceland, gave Studio Granda Architects the award at the award ceremony that took place for the 11th time on November 7th in Gróska, in the presence of a large crowd who celebrated outstanding design.
The category Place calls for outstandingly designed projects that have their place in the space. Various spaces, buildings, districts, squares, parks and places are considered.
The Icelandic Design Award honours the best Icelandic design and architecture annually. The importance of design in society, culture and business has been growing steadily, and it is therefore vital to increase the understanding of good design and highlight the value of quality.
The Icelandic Design Award is established by Iceland Design and Architecture in collaboration with theIceland University of the Arts, the Museum of Design and Applied Art, Promote Iceland, The Housing and Construction Authorities of Iceland, SI - the Federation of Icelandic Industries, The University of Iceland Science Parkand Gróska.
