Architect studios Argos, Gullinsnid and Studio Grandi were announced the winners of an urban planning competition for central Reykjavík yesterday. City authorities called for ideas after two historic buildings were destroyed in fire this April.
“We fell head over heels for this proposition. It marks a new beginning for the oldest part of the city,” Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir, head of Reykjavík City Urban Planning Committee, told Fréttabladid.
The two buildings, which stood on the corner of Austurstraeti and Laekjargata, will be reconstructed the way they looked in their prime. The winning proposal emphasizes preserving historic relics.
Another story will possibly be added to the house that burned down on Laekjargata 2. The house which used to stand on Laekjargata 4, but was moved to Árbaejarsafn museum for preservation purposes, may be moved back to its original location.
Reykjavík City also purchased sections of two other proposals, which will be considered when a new urban planning is finished, which is expected by the end of this year. The reconstruction project could begin early next year.
Click here to read about the fire in Reykjavík.
