Town Centre Urban Plan, Akureyri, Iceland

International Competition, 1st Prize

Akureyri is a town of 16,000 residents located on Iceland's northern coast and is the largest town outside of the Reykjavik urban area. Historically a fishing town situated at the bottom of Eyjafjordur, and surrounded by mountains, Akureyri is a place physically, culturally and economically informed by its relationship to the environment. However, over time the connections between the town, its people and its setting have been eroded; the economic importance of the fishing trade is diminishing and the town centre no longer has a direct relationship to the sea. Furthermore, out of town shopping malls have contributed to a decline in the town centre's prosperity.

The development of a plan for the town centre aims to address this decline and reinstate the centre as a vibrant, mixed-use area. Our proposals aim to create a unique identity for Akureyri; to capitalise on the town's natural setting and provide high-quality urban spaces attractive to prospective residents, businesses and tourists.

Client: Akureyri Council

Cost: -

Area: 6 hectares

Status: Ongoing

Reconnecting the town with its spectacular location at the base of Eyjafjordur, the longest fjord in Iceland, while releasing suitably scaled land parcels for development is key to its regeneration. In order to achieve this we have proposed a series of landscape and infrastructural initiatives including: formation of a new inlet, cutting through previously reclaimed (but unused) land, to re-establish theconnection between town centre and fjord; selective demolition and reconfiguration of the existing urban structure to allow for significant commercial expansion.

These initiatives restore and redefine the physical characteristics which contributed to the town's original purpose: creating an attractive environment in which to live and work; generating a valuable asset for commercial development; strengthening the 'brand value' of the town in order to promote tourism and economic growth.

Following our competition win in 2005, we have been working closely with Akureyri Municipality to realise the town centre vision. Outline proposals were incorporated into Akureyri’s general plan (Adalskipulag) in 2005 and have since been developed into a detailed masterplan and public realm strategy which are scheduled to be adopted as the formal town centre local plan (Deiliskipulag) in 2009. Initial building projects will follow thereafter.