We are proud to announce that “Stöðin – A roadside stop in Iceland” has been nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award. The European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, or Mies van der Rohe Award, is a Prize given biennially by the European Union and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona, to acknowledge and reward quality architectural production in Europe. The jury’s review and the three other nominated projects from Iceland can be seen here.
“Stöðin”, a roadside stop in the Icelandic countryside, is a conjoined restaurant, drive-through, convenience store and gas station. Icelandic culture is in many ways shaped by American influences due to the 65-year long presence of an American army base in the country. Stöðin addresses this cultural relationship by incorporating architectural elements from the American diner that contrast the traditional Icelandic building method of in situ cast concrete. The exposed concrete of the exterior bestows the diner with a permanence unknown by its American counterparts creating a friction between its streamlined aesthetics and the rustic materiality’s gravity. An elongated bar-desk transforms into seating arrangements and characterizes the semicircular restaurant, which offers panoramic views of the scenic fjord Borgarfjörður.
“Stöðin” in Borgarnes will be owned and run by Skeljungur, the Icelandic branch of Shell – with whom we are at the moment working on other road-stops within the same concept along the Icelandic highway.
Interior design is done in collaboration with aok-design.
Photography by Kristinn Magnússon.
Sea Monsters is a collaborative conceptual project by Icelandic designer Katrín Ólina and KRADS.
The project addresses the active environmental problem of algal blooms in the Baltic Sea by fusing technology, science and art in an innovative way. Working with the idea of ancient mythology in a contemporary context, satellite photography is digitally translated to create an artistic vision of an alien creature appearing in public locations in the Baltic region.
The project is the first of its kind in Denmark where the otherwise chlorine filled water will be kept clean by natural means using plants, sand filters and stones. We are looking forward to the project in collaboration with our colleagues from KLAR. The total cost of the project will be 8 million Dkr.
KRADS, in collaboration with KLAR, has developed a project that reintroduces the traditional open air swimming pool – brought back to life with the use of a bio tech cleaning system – nature’s own biology.
The client, a private group of people in Skjern interested in saving their old swimming pool from demolition, Junckerhaven, a Danish specialist in Bio Pools and The Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities (LOA) set forth the task to rejuvenate the worn down open air swimming pool in Skjern. KRADS and KLAR facilitated the design process with the purpose of delivering an architectural vision for how a new kind of sustainable renovation strategy could be applied to open air swimming pools in general – using the specific pool in Skjern as an example.
The site is positioned in Skjern, a city on the west coast of Jutland, Denmark, and is a part of a larger Sports and Cultural Center. The potentials for interesting interactions are today far from exploited. The pool is situated next to a park which we have included in the project as a green and recreational area that can evolve over time – creating connections and interactions with the area’s additional sports and cultural activities.
The pool in Skjern will be self cleaning. The use of the bio-tech cleaning system also results in no added chemicals in the water and reduced use of energy in terms of water flow.
The design challenge has been to renew the artificial outdoor pool from the sixties using a sustainable and naturally self cleaning technology and to rejuvenate the spirit and cultural activities related to the original swimming pool and park. We see it as “tradition revisited”.
The project is planned to be realized and ready to open for the summer 2012
Links:
KLAR: http://www.klar-arkitekter.dk/
JUNCKERHAVEN: http://www.junckerhaven.dk/
LOA: http://www.loa-fonden.dk/
KRADS is selected as “runner-ups” in the international idea competition MAN MADE REFORMULATE. The competition is part of the 4th International Architecture Triennale 2010 in Oslo, Norway. 85 entries were submitted, one winner and six “runner-ups” were chosen. KRADS will be published in the competition report which is part of the Oslo Triennale 2010 catalogue.
Recently we participated in the competition “Bok og Blueshus” in Notodden, Norway, proposing a building for the mixed program of a library, museum and a concert stage – serving as the city´s tribute to the strong tradition for blues music in Notodden. Here are a couple of images from our proposal.
Skjern Cultural Center (SKC) and KRADS presents future plans for developing SKC’s cultural and sport facilities. The project includes a fitness center, accommodation facilities and a new cinema all gathered by an outdoor plaza and linked to the city centre by an activity promenade.
Until today, june the 5th, there hasn´t been any “open-air” fishmarket for the public in Iceland – believe it or not.. We have for the past few months been involved in the development to change that situation and this morning the “Fiskmarkaður við Gömlu Höfnina” – a market by the old harbour in Reykjavík – opened to clear skies and curious passers-by.
Last year the idea for the market was put in motion by Brynhildur Pálsdóttir, Theresa Himmer and Þóra Valsdóttir from Matís. We joined the group in the devolopment of the design and layout of the market, together with Faxaflóahafnir and graphic designers Vinnustofa Atla Harðarsonar, and it has been a great pleasure to see this much needed addition to the harbour-front become a reality.
A collaboration between architect/artist Theresa Himmer and Kristján Eggertsson, of KRADS, resulted in a new entrance to Icelands National Gallery. The new entrance welcomes animals of all shapes and sizes, arriving by air or by land, to visit the gallery.
The new entrance is a part of the group exhibition “Dyndilyndi” – at the National Gallery until the 2nd of may.
Our architectural models are taking a march down the main shopping street in central Reykjavík during this year´s DesignMarch. So while you are contemplating wether to take the Oreo´s or the more helthy Wasa crackers – you can check out our design for the “Flying drive-thru” restaurant…
More info on the DesignMarch here :
www.honnunarmars.ai.is
www.icelanddesigncenter.is
Here are some images from our proposal in this years Europan competition – in which we took on the challenging site in Madrid, Spain.
For the competition Chicago Union Station in 2008 we made a proposal that embraced the characteristics of Chicago with its numerous public parks and its historical importance as being the birthplace of the skyscraper. In respect of Union Station, the historic building is kept almost entirely in its original form with its importance enhanced by the new adjacent Union Plaza. The Great Hall is given a new life as a connection point between the West Loop Transportation Center and the HSR-Platforms. The perforated plaza, above the platforms, is conceived as a vibrating urban juncture between horizontal and vertical movements. Elevated above the plaza, the Vertical City can be viewed as a condensed sampling of the unique urban fabric of Chicago – a slice of the city that has been rotated 90 degrees. The proposal´s ambition is to create a strong landmark for Chicago, rooted in the City´s genus loci, and at the same time challenge the traditional typology of plinths and towers.
KRADS is awarded “honorable mention” in the competition “Nyt liv i bykirken”. We participated at a crowded award ceremony at Gethsemane Church wednesday afternoon.
EXTRACT FROM THE COMPETITION TEXT.
THE CHURCH WITHIN THE CITY & THE CITY WITHIN THE CHURCH
The city church is evolving – not under closure… The future offers a strong relation between the cityscape and the internal space of the church. The activity and life within the church should reflect the surrounding society. The church will contribute to the multiplicity and balance of society in a positive manner. The contribution is based on the idea of openness and the basic compassionate values and principles of the church. The space and function of the church is not under closure but is evolving in sync with it’s surroundings.
A focus on open-mindedness, humanity within the church and the dynamics and diversity of the city, will position the modern city church as a cultural hub and again include it in the social and cultural awareness of the citizens. The city church is a historically founded asset in the future evolution of the city.
Based on the qualities of the city and the church, future relations between Lithauns Square and Gethsemane Church will blossom. Lithauns Square, partly sport grounds and partly a park, has direct physical relations to the nearby elementary school and recreation center. Lithauns Square is bussing with activity and reflects the diversity of Vesterbro.
Gethsemane Church is situated just next to Lithauns Square. The physical and mental boundary between church and square can nevertheless seem difficult to overcome. If the boundaries are overcome a new field of possibilities emerges and relations between city and church will blossom and the two will nourish each other.
