Location: Skútustaðir, Iceland
Client: Buildner
Use: Commercial
Type: New Construction
Size: 8,930 sf. (830 m²)
Year: 2023
Visualization: Roam Visual Studio
Status: Unrealized Competition
The Sel-Hotel Myvatn’s new Sel Hotel's Öl Brewery & Spa takes inspiration from its unique and awe-inspiring surroundings. The design seeks to emulate how volcanic geological and geothermal processes have and continue to shape the landscape.
The building partially digs itself in the ground to lay its most private and foundational space, The Spa. This wellness centric zone has 3 Beer Spa tubs, a Relaxation Lounge, Massage Room, Outdoor Thermal Pool and an Outdoor Central Hearth. The Spa tubs and lounge are laid out along the facade to glimpse a view of the surrounding landscape.
Using the Central Hearth as a metaphor to volcanic forces, the building takes cues from the surrounding craters and pushes the additional spaces upwards from the ground. This makes the fire in the central hearth a core element in the distribution of the spaces as well as the main framework for vertical circulation.
As the building pushes upwards, the next space to be laid out is the semi-private Brewery. Located half a floor up from the Spa, the Brewery is designed to be a functional manufacturing space but is also designed to allow visitors to engage and understand the process of crafting beer.
Progressing further up from the underground into the ground level, more public spaces begin to take shape. The Main Entrance Lobby, the Gift Shop, and the Beer Tasting area are laid out around the lightwell that encases the outdoor hearth. These spaces with large glazed facades open themselves to the stunning landscapes that surround the building.
Lastly, the most public space, the Café, gets pushed the furthest above the ground. The gesture is intended to enhance the experience of having complete visual connection with the landscape from a higher point of view, all while being able to enjoy a beverage or a meal.
The Café is also directly connected to terraces that allow visitors to sit outside during the summer months and enjoy direct access to the outside. The café terraces are also connected to a series of ramps that allow visitors to experience the roof of the building in a similar way to the craters of the area, from ground to higher ground and even underground.
With the intention of making the project as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible, the building is designed to use geothermal resources for its heating and cooling needs. During the summer months absorption chillers driven by geothermal heat are used to provide cooling in all indoor spaces, offering an eco-friendly alternative to traditional air conditioning. In contrast, during the winter months geothermal heat pumps (GHP) are used to circulate water that is heated by underground geothermal sources providing adequate heating to all indoor spaces. In addition, the Spa’s outdoor thermal pool utilizes direct water from underground hot springs reducing the need for additional heating energy. These tactics mentioned above combined with several insulating strategies such as using locally sourced sheep wool to insulate walls and ceiling assemblies, native turf and moss green roofs to insulate roofing systems and Triple Pane Low-E coated glazing systems in the facades, decrease the need for energy and reduce the building’s impact on the environment.
