NordenBladet – The natural pool Guðlaug on Langisandur beach, in Akranes, West Iceland, has been nominated for the 2022 Mies van der Rohe Award – the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, mbl.is reports. The prize is awarded every other year by the EU and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona.
It recognizes and commends excellence in European architecture in conceptual, social, cultural, technical and constructive terms. In April, 2022, the winners will be announced.
Guðlaug was designed by Basalt architects, while Mannvit was in charge of engineering design.
Admission to the pool is free, and it has proven ideal for sea swimmers. The pool opened to the public on December 8, 2018, and was visited by about 30,000 guests in 2019.
The structure includes an observation deck, reminiscent of the prow of a ship, a warm pool that enjoys shelter from the wind, and a shallow pool, mixed with seawater. The view from the pool of Faxaflói bay and Reykjavík is spectacular.
In the video below, you can see, step by step, how the project developed.
Featured image: From Guðlaug, before COVID-19 spread to Iceland. (Photo/Facebook)