Exploring a retreat hotel in Icelandic resort Blue Lagoon
Suite 62, The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland, is located in the UNESCO Global Geopark. Showcasing a minimalist approach to aesthetics, emphasizing the view of lagoons and moss-covered rocks, it was designed by Sigríður Sigþórsdóttir, founding partner of Basalt Architects. It is easy to see from its design that health and wellness was central to the mind of founder Grímur Sæmundsen when designing this piece.
When designing the retreat, the architects thoroughly analyzed the cracks and fissures that formed this volcanic landscape and used them to ensure that their design blends in perfectly with its surroundings. Suffice to say that they were building, they left a certain margin to be able to be flexible whenever an unexpected discovery was made.
The chef’s table, reception and Moss restaurant are all made from lava rock, quarried on site. Likewise, the restaurant’s wine cellar is surrounded by exposed rock which is lit from below to give a spectacular look and feel.
The architects explained how they “wanted lava, moss, water to be ubiquitous, resulting in an architecture woven with the natural elements.
They added, “Bare lava forms the walls inside and out and covers the roofs. Water surrounds, flows through and cascades, and lush moss stretches to the horizon.
