Crafting Keldur – Where Art, Science & Recreation Unite
The City of Reykjavik wants to set a new standard in urban development with the Keldur district. FOJAB and Ramböll won the open international competition with their proposal. Crafting Keldur - Where Art, Science & Recreation Unite.
The competition brief was to produce a development strategy for the Keldur district in eastern Reykjavik. Within a few years, Keldur will be served by a high-quality bus transport system connecting the district with Reykjavik city centre and other important locations in the capital area. According to the city, the new district will be characterized by sustainable mobility, circularity, energy transition and climate-neutral construction.
The proposal is based on climate neutrality and climate considerations. This places special demands on urban planning and dense mixed-use development, of which there is very little in Iceland today. The buildings keep to a human scale - three to five floors - but are sufficiently dense and cohesive to create a vibrant and dynamic city.
The jury for the competition was particularly attracted by the fact that FOJAB's proposal was clearly rooted in the site and that the conditions of the landscape with greenery and water have been taken advantage of, and that the land is used efficiently. As well as forward-looking ideas about mobility and a flexible block structure. The strategies for achieving a social mix were also considered convincing.
The jury said that FOJAB's proposal responds very well to the needs and requirements of the new urban neighborhood in Reykjavik. An urban district close to nature, where the three stops of the Borgarlín express bus will be the backbone of sustainable urban transportation.
FOJAB now continues to further develop the proposal in a future planning process, with physical plans and Urban Development Programs.
