Sandholt

Project information

  1. Location Reykjavik‚ Iceland
  2. Area2.510 m²

Project details

  1. Year2013 — 2017
  2. StatusCompleted
  3. Partners Minimum ehf
  4. Client Reir Verk
  5. Enquiries Sigurður Hallgrímsson
  6. Scope Hospitality

Sandholt is a boutique hotel in Reykjavík’s old town by the main shopping street, Laugavegur. A total of seven buildings, both historical and new, are joined together to form the complex. The restored buildings were built in the 1930’s and were considered quite grand and elegant at the time, famous for housing prominent businesses. With similar proportions and design features, the new buildings harmonise with the existing.

Historical context

Surrounding the hotel are several historical highlights, including a century old men’s clothing store, one of the oldest working bakeries in the city and the birthplace of Iceland’s most famous writer, Halldór Laxness. A Swedish whitebeam tree—one of the oldest in the neighbourhood and dearly loved by the locals—was preserved within the development.

The buildings are connected on the upper floors without breaking the urban pathway on the ground level. Glazing on both sides emphasize the visual connection through the entire development.

Authentic experience

For the interior, we designed the 75 guestrooms to emphasise the look and feel of Reykjavík for an authentic Icelandic experience. The hotel offers great views of Esja mountain to the north and a colourful Reykjavik neighbourhood to the south.