Vogabyggð Open Courtyard
Vogabyggð is Iceland's next generation of sustainable urban development – a new community by the sea that transforms a former industrial peninsula into a vibrant, human-scale neighbourhood. Within the masterplan of Vogabyggð, JVST has been commissioned to design a series of waterfront apartment buildings on the former industrial peninsula of Gelgjutangi. The Open courtyard building (1.2) is the first of these – a robust sculptural volume that steps down in terraces from the urban street toward the water, maximising sun exposure and views over the adjacent marina. The building anchors a sheltered communal courtyard at its heart: a warm, protected space that opens toward hiking and cycling trails and faces the sea.
Site
1.200 m²
Program
74 dwellings
Client
Kaldalón investment group
Status
Built (2024)
Location
Reykjavík (Iceland)
Type
Architecture
Design Partners
THG Arkitektar
Collaborators
Landslag, Vector.is
A robust sculptural volume that steps down in terraces from the urban street toward the water, maximising sun exposure and views over the adjacent marina. The building anchors a sheltered communal courtyard at its heart: a warm, protected space that opens toward hiking and cycling trails and faces the sea.
The entrance is conceived as a contemporary arch – a single gesture that welcomes pedestrians, cyclists, and cars from the street into the garden. On the exterior, robust light grey-silver aluminium panels reference the texture and tone of weathered timber, grounding the building in its coastal industrial heritage. Inside the courtyard, gold-coloured panels shift the atmosphere entirely: warm, tactile, and glowing – a deliberate contrast that makes the shared space feel distinct and inviting.
