Neubau Landsbankinn / Nýbygging Landsbankans

The new building for Iceland's largest bank, Landsbankinn in Reykjavik, is not only the city's bank but also the city's house – the building interacts with and includes the entire city while also offering an architecture in close relation to the raw Icelandic nature and the city’s historic urban fabric.

The building supports Landsbankinn's values of being in close interaction with the outside world. This is solved by creating a site-specific, eventful, flexible and efficient building that becomes an ‘everyday landmark’ for Reykjavik.

The raw Icelandic nature, the volcanic basalt stone, the horizontal layers of the rock, and the atmosphere of the caves and clefts have been a source of inspiration in the design of the project. This approach runs from the exterior of the building’s through to its interior.

The internal organization of the building is aligned with Landsbankinn’s vision of an outward-looking public realm. The majority of the public functions are located on the ground floor and along the building's façade, activating a new pedestrian street leading to Harpa Concert Hall. Internally, a sheltered public passage links these new facilities, becoming a new natural shortcut in the city.

The designs of the work spaces are primarily founded on a desire to provide the greatest possible flexibility and the office spaces are therefore designed as flexible, efficient and open workplaces, which allow for change over time.