The contemporary home
This competition is part of a strategic partnership between Buildner and ArchDaily that aims to explore "The Contemporary Home".
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Introduction
The Myvatn lake area, located in the heart of Iceland, is a mesmerizing destination celebrated for its awe-inspiring landscapes, diverse flora and fauna, and extraordinary geothermal activity.
Visitors to this enchanting region are captivated by its myriad geological wonders, such as the renowned Myvatn Nature Baths, the magnificent Húsavík whale watching area, and the striking Dimmuborgir lava formations. Among these fascinating attractions, the legendary Skútustaðagígar craters hold a special place, offering a unique blend of beauty and history.
COMPETITION ORGANISERS
Official partner
The Iceland Beer Spa architecture competition presents a unique opportunity for architects and designers to showcase their creativity and innovation in the breathtaking Myvatn lake area of Iceland. Sel Hotel, a family-run establishment with a rich history, is situated right next to the legendary Skútustaðagígar craters, offering a prime location for a groundbreaking multi-purpose facility. The competition seeks to create a landmark destination that reflects the spirit of the region and provides an unforgettable experience for both tourists and locals alike.
The Myvatn lake area, located in the heart of Iceland, is a mesmerizing destination celebrated for its awe-inspiring landscapes, diverse flora and fauna, and extraordinary geothermal activity.
This exciting challenge invites you to replace the existing structure on the hotel grounds with a new facility that combines the functions of a brewery, cafe snack bar, and souvenir shop, while introducing a new key feature: the Beer Spa. Your design should focus on creating an inviting, functional, and innovative space that appeals to a wide range of guests.
Sel Hotel, a family-run establishment (photo: Elvar Yngvason, Anna Mary Yngvadóttir, Ásdís Erla Jóhannesdóttir, Yngvi Ragnar Kristjánsson) with a rich history, is situated right next to the legendary Skútustaðagígar craters, offering a prime location for a groundbreaking multi-purpose facility. The competition seeks to create a landmark destination that reflects the spirit of the region and provides an unforgettable experience for both tourists and locals alike.
Buildner encourages architects and designers to participate in this competition and bring their vision for the Iceland Beer Spa to life. Your submission should demonstrate your design skills and reflect an understanding of sustainable building practices, as the client has expressed an intention to construct the project.
This is a rare opportunity to contribute to the evolution of hospitality and wellness in one of Iceland's most enchanting regions. We look forward to receiving your innovative and environmentally sensitive designs that have the potential to make a lasting impact on the Myvatn Lake area and the world of architecture.
Download the full competition brief for more information!
Competition is open to all. No professional qualification is required. Design proposals can be developed individually or by teams (4 team members maximum). Correspondence with organizers must be conducted in English; All information submitted by participants must be in English.
The full competition brief
The full competition brief can be downloaded as often as required; no additional information will be provided after registration.
(!) FULL COMPETITION BRIEF
- SITE CAD & PDF
- PHOTO & VIDEO
Prizes
TOTAL PRIZE FUND
10,000 € + Potential to be realised
1ST PLACE
4,000 €
2ND PLACE
2,500 €
3RD PLACE
1,000 €
CLIENT’S FAVORITE AWARD
1,000 €
BUILDNER STUDENT AWARD
1,000 €
(more details)
+ 50 € ARCHHIVE BOOKS Gift Card
+ 50 Points BUILDNER Architecture University Rankings
6 Honourable mentions & certificates
Buildner will acknowledge the outstanding performance of all winners and honourable mentions with Certificates of Achievement.
Publicity campaign
The Buildner’s extensive global publicity campaign for the competition winners:
"SEEN BY" ONE MILLION
Results published on buildner.com - one of the leading websites in the industry and is visited by over one million unique visitors each year.
"SEEN BY" 800 000 MORE
Publications on Buildner's social networks (over 600,000 followers) and newsletter campaigns (over 200,000 subscribers).
INTERVIEW
Exclusive interview published with the results and shared on Buildner's social networks.
MOVIE
The competition winners will be granted an opportunity to submit a movie about themselves. The video will be published on Buildner's website and social networks.
MEDIA PARTNERS
The competition results will get international art and design media coverage and will be featured in the world’s leading architecture media outlets.
Key dates
Send remindersClosing date for registration
8 November 2023
Competition Q&A deadline
14 November 2023
In order to guarantee equal opportunities to all competition participants,
No new questions will be answered after this deadline.
Closing date for project submission
12 December 2023
23:59 (LONDON TIME)
Announcement of the winners
21 February 2024
Competition Q&A deadline
14 November 2023
In order to guarantee equal opportunities to all competition participants,
No new questions will be answered after this deadline.
Jury
Jury members shall under no circumstances be contacted by competition participants or their representatives. Participants who attempt to contact jury members, shall be disqualified.
All jury members are involved in the evaluation based on their availability at that time. All communication regarding the competition should only be carried out with Buildner staff. For any questions please contact us on [email protected]
Marshall Blecher
Founder at Studio Marshall Blecher & Co-founder at MAST
Denmark
Pip Cheshire
Director, Cheshire Architects
New Zealand
Francisco Garcia de Freitas
Atelier RUA - Arquitectos
Portugal
Ricardo Gomes
Partner, KWY.studio
Portugal
Borghildur Indriðadóttir
Artist on the Moon
Iceland
Hildur Isdal
Plusark
Iceland
Søren Leth
partner and co-founder of SLETH
Denmark
Judson Moore
Design Director at Waechter Architecture
USA
Inés Olavarrieta
Architect and designer at selgascano
Spain
Willem van Bolderen
Founding Partner, Studio Puisto Architects Ltd
Finland
Sigrún Sumarliðadóttir
Studio BUA
UK
While you can propose a new parking lot layout as an option, the design should be functional with the existing parking lot strategy in case the client wishes to retain the current parking layout.
No, there should be no changes to the existing hotel.
The description mentions individual and shared tubs for 4 people as a reference, but participants are allowed to propose additional bathtubs if they find it more appropriate for their design proposal.
The number of guests that can enjoy the bath area simultaneously is not specified. Participants should calculate and determine the required number of lockers based on their design proposal.
Separate bath areas for men and women, with or without swimsuits, can be proposed as options.
Participants can propose a private bath area for families and couples as an option.
Natural hot spring water is not available.
The specific natural ingredients for the warm water and beer mixture are not defined and can vary depending on different treatments and offerings.
It is not necessary to set up a circulation and filtering system for the bathtubs, as the water is expected to be changed for each customer due to hygiene considerations.
The inclusion of saunas can be proposed as an option in the design.
There are no restrictions on the total building height.
The current brewery room has a floor area of 30 square meters, with 18 square meters allocated for the brewery area and 12 square meters for the packing area. The ceiling height of the current Brewery room is 2.6 meters.
All available photos and videos of the existing brewery room can be downloaded from the competition website. No additional photos are available.
Plans for the existing hotel building are not available.
There are no specific restrictions on the total floor area for the Beer Spa. Participants have flexibility in determining the size of the spa within the given site.
The maximum height of snow accumulation is not provided. Participants should research weather conditions in the area at their own discretion.
There are no specific restrictions on the customer demographic. The Beer Spa is open to customers worldwide. Participants can research the hotel's offer to better understand the potential clientele.
Yes, the hotel restaurant is open to non-hotel guests as well.
The competition brief does not specify the minimum dimensions for the different areas/functions. Participants have the flexibility to determine the dimensions based on their design proposal.
Participants are allowed to design in any place within the site boundaries. They are not limited to occupying only the area of the existing building.
Yes, participants can design a multi-floor building.
Yes, participants are allowed to include a basement in their design.
The new building proposal should be within the defined "competition site" as per the competition brief.
The original design of the cafe can accommodate around 50 people. However, during the peak tourist season, it could benefit from design solutions that increase seating capacity. Participants are encouraged to propose innovative and flexible solutions that allow for additional guests during peak times.
For space allocation, the brewing equipment should be designed to occupy roughly 20 square meters, and the packing area should take up approximately 10 square meters.
Incorporation of underground spaces is permitted within the design.
All elements of the design, including potential cantilevers, must respect and stay within the site boundaries.
Yes, including gender-neutral showers and restrooms is highly recommended.
