Architecture and design
Blue Lagoon's emphasis on architecture and design is an integral part of the company's strategy. Sigríður Sigþórsdóttir, VA Arkiteks, is the architect of the Blue Lagoon facilities including Blue Lagoon Bath, Blue Lagoon Clinic and Blue Lagoon Spa in Reykjavík.
Capturing the harmonious links between man and nature is what architect Sigrídur Sigthórsdóttir accomplished with the Blue Lagoon.
“I attempted to capture the mystery of the location with the ever changing play of light and shadow across the lava, the steam from the lagoon and the special light that characterizes the northern part of the world,” says Sigrídur, of VA Architects, the Reykjavik firm that designed the Blue Lagoon’s facilities.
“Pure Icelandic materials from moss and stones characterize the design. We wanted to emphasize the relationship between nature and the man-made,” she says.
This relationship can be seen the moment a visitor steps out of his car and walks from the parking lot through a 200-meter footpath that cuts through a wall of lava. It’s like descending into a lava maze, guided by nature into the lagoon itself. Then there is the lava wall inside the facility (containing about 70,000 pieces of lava), connecting the building with an untouched lava wall that surrounds the steaming waters, providing natural shelter for bathers. The building’s soft lines blend with the lava, as it opens towards the lagoon absorbing the northern sun hanging low in the winter or rising high during the endless light of summer.
From the beginning of the Blue Lagoon project, Sigþórsdóttir’s goal was to “protect the environment and respect its geological history.”
The architect certainly succeeded. The building resembles the Blue Lagoon itself: both look as if they were carved from the rugged lava by a dramatic shifting of the earth’s crust, as if they were meant to coexist. Click here to visit the website of VA Arkitekts
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Awards
Blue Lagoon Clinic
Icelandic Art of Building Award, 2007
The Nordic Light Award, 2006
DV - Cultural Award, 2005
Blue Lagoon Bath
Nominated on behalf of Iceland to the Mies van der Rohe awards, 2002
Nominated to the Nordic Light Awards, 2002
Nominated to the Nordic Light Awards, 2002