No longer the preserve of the elicit industries servicing leave-taking sailors, dockland areas in major cities are increasingly the place to be for smart new business investment, and here we have a hotel looking to take advantage of this changing tide in the harbour-side district of Reykjavik, Iceland.
Icelandair Hotel Reykjavík Marina (designed by THG Arkitektar) is a curious but lovable creation – just when you think it’s all Scandinavian minimalist modern it blindsides you with some retro kitsch wallpaper or a tartan lampshade. The lobby uses stage lighting to dramatic effect, while the rooms are more what you’d expect (albeit with some lovely quirky furnishings), neatly done and with nice features alluding to the maritime location.
The building is a re-purposed 4-storey affair next to the Slippur dry-dock, still functioning and providing views from one side of the hotel of the huge hulking vessels in for repair. Absolutely no idea about the strange wooden man that keeps popping up everywhere, including the toilet. We’ll put that down to Icelandic eccentricity. All things considered, this hotel certainly floats our boat…
Photography, THG Arkitektar
