2.7.2012
Stöðin – Roadside Stop, parador en Islandia
Stöðin, es un parador en Islandia donde convergen una estación de servicio, un restaurante y una tienda. La cultura islandesa fue en muchos aspectos influenciada por la americana debido a que durante 65 años existió en el país una base militar de los Estados Unidos. Stöðin incorpora esta relación incluyendo elementos de un típico parador americano contrastando con la clásica construcción islandesa de sólido hormigón. El concreto visto del exterior le da al parador un aspecto de permanencia que contrasta con los típicos bares americanos, creando una fricción entre la estética del lugar y lo rústico del material. La disposición de la barra caracteriza la forma semicircula del restaurant, ofreciendo vistas panorámicas del fiordo de Borgarfjörður.
Photography: Kristinn Magnússon // www.kmphoto.is
“Stöðin”, a roadside stop in the Icelandic countryside, is a conjoined restaurant, drive-through, convenience store and gas station. Icelandic culture is in many ways shaped by American influences due to the 65-year long presence of an American army base in the country. Stöðin addresses this cultural relationship by incorporating architectural elements from the American diner that contrast the traditional Icelandic building method of in situ cast concrete. The exposed concrete of the exterior bestows the diner with a permanence unknown by its American counterparts creating a friction between its streamlined aesthetics and the rustic materiality’s gravity. An elongated bar-desk transforms into seating arrangements and characterizes the semicircular restaurant, which offers panoramic views of the scenic fjord Borgarfjörður.
Krads – Profile
KRADS is an architectural studio based in Denmark and Iceland. Working as one team, our transnational setup generates a dynamic environment in which we mobilize and re-imagine the Scandinavian culture of architecture and design in an internationally aimed constellation. Founding KRADS in 2006, we have gathered a portfolio of successfully realized projects despite young age, and received critical acclaim and awards for our work which spans through urban planning, building design and product design. Our approach is characterized by clear and imaginative concepts, followed through to realization with a careful attention to detail, while remaining sensitive to the uniqueness of every project. Working with both public and private clients our practice advocates close collaboration between all parties involved in each project, encouraging interdisciplinary networks in a comprehensive approach to the architectural field. KRADS is led by architects; Kristján Eggertsson, Kristján Örn Kjartansson, Kristoffer Juhl Beilman & Mads Bay Møller
Krads – Approach
Our approach is predominantly a pragmatic one, in which the aesthetics follow from a careful reading of the particular parameters that define a project’s functional, cultural and geographical framework. A thorough understanding of the specificities of each task includes identifying core questions and challenges as a way of revealing each project’s individual potentials. This becomes the foundation in generating a strong vision.
A shared position is established early on in the project between us, the client and other collaborators. From this common platform, the subsequent steps in the design process are evaluated and discussed through a productive dialogue between the parties involved. We mobilize the studios in Denmark and Iceland in different ways related to each project. On a practical level, this can for example happen as an exchange of technical knowledge or in a specific workflow setup. Meanwhile our geographical distribution is also an asset in a wider cultural sense. While Denmark has a long architectural history anchored in Scandinavian building tradition, urbanization in Iceland started only in the early 20th century. KRADS activates this dual background in a nuanced perspective on the dynamics between tradition and playful innovation. With every project we participate in, our ambition is to contribute to the improvement of our built environment with inspired, original, relevant and responsible designs of high quality.