Spa Myvatn
Myvatn, Iceland
The architectural concept proposes a distribution of spaces for encounter and social interaction across all levels of the building, ensuring that every stratum is inhabited and animated. On each floor, within both the ground-level volume and the upper volume, new interfaces are introduced, offering graduated degrees of intimacy. A clear spatial hierarchy is established between the hidden service areas and the social or reception areas, as opposed to the more intimate areas.
Through the exploration of movement and circulation, the plan acquires its vital, qualitative dimension. Every plan, through the positioning of doors and passages, creates sequences of spaces. Rather than being dictated solely by functional requirements, this succession of spatial situations is shaped by new interactions, those of perceived emotion. Each sequence encountered during movement carries a distinct sensation and perception, while contributing to a coherent whole. The relationships between sequences generate evolving experiences, conceived either in continuity or in contrast. The proposal thus unfolds as a succession of warm, deliberate, and contrasting spatial moments.
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This architecture seeks to reinterpret the site’s topography and the texture of the surrounding terrain, allowing the new extension to become a strong associative element within the crater landscape of Mývatn. Upon arrival, a horizontal volume reveals itself, evoking the long roads and vast plains of the region. Like a lantern glowing through the mist, it draws visitors in with a warm and welcoming presence. Nearby, the monolithic form of the hotel emerges, a stone-built crater crowned with a vegetated roof, recalling the vernacular constructions of the area. It stands as an ode to memory and ancestral traditions.
Inside, visitors are welcomed by the soul of the place, the production center of its golden nectar, beer. Tasting areas and gathering spaces sit alongside the boutique, while the central pool and relaxation zones open upward toward the sky. The extension becomes a path and a passage, a space through which a range of emotions unfolds, punctuated by moments of discovery and relaxation. Balancing the timeless presence of stone with the warmth of wood, the architecture immerses visitors in an experience shaped by the softness of the dormant season. This atmosphere reflects an approach that celebrates equilibrium, between abundance and a return to origins.
Nestled along the shores of Lake Mývatn, the project extends into the landscape through the rooftop trails, connected to the shore, offering breathtaking views across the surrounding terrain and reinforcing the bond between architecture and the immensity of nature.
Water remains an inexhaustible source of inspiration. In dialogue with architecture, this fluid element becomes a symbol of complexity, adaptation, and transformation. Shaping spaces over time, water influences form, perspective, and spatial configuration, revealing the evolving relationship between humans and their environment. Whether through contemplation, harmony, reinforcement, or protection, the traces of water in architecture are both historical and evolving. Here, the liquid and gaseous cycles of water take shape as a constructed geological experience, echoing the origins of the craters of Mývatn.
