Greenhouse Park Reykjavik, Iceland

The Old harbour of Reykjavik has an important connection between the urban fabric and the nature. The industrial activities are declining, slowly being taken over by new uses. Some occupy old existing buildings, and others are new constructions. The proposal asked us to focus on the threshold within the city, the natural assets and public life. Then propose a building in the context of the city that contributes to its surroundings, and invites passers-by to engage and visitors to enjoy.

Walking around Reykjavik it become evident the effects of the recent global economic crisis. As a result of the crisis there were various types of empty and abandoned buildings scattered through the city. Most of them are found in the center of Reykjavik. These spaces where all different sizes, and in various phases of construction, but more interesting than the appearance of these buildings was the backstory.

I decided to focus my project on combining both aspects of the sites we visited in Reykjavik, by rebuilding and reusing the abandoned and empty buildings in downtown Reykjavik into geothermal greenhouses, and urban centers for locals and tourists.

For my site I chose Tryggvagata 10, 101. Built in 1906 as a slaughterhouse, the house is approximately 436m2. There are two main floors, a basement, and an additional third floor which use to lead to a tower on the northwest corner.

1921: Expansion of the second floor into an apartment.

1935: A combination of residential and fish factory/slaughterhouse took place in the house.

1939: Outhouses built.

1942: Fiskbúð downstairs, Fish Hall and residential upstairs.

1956-1962: Improved facilities for fish processing leads to the house becoming the location of various businesses, such as such as Hlíðarhús sf., Sturlaugur Grant and Co., etc.

1962-New addition of concrete and timber based south of the extension in 1921.

1973- Redesign of the towers and balconies were made on the house. The house has strong links in Reykjavik history because of its commercial, industrial and employment history, as well as its relationship to local retail. It expresses cultural and environmental values. The house has had little change except on the windows, cladding, and removal of towers and balconies in 1973. In 2010 fire department was called to Tryggvagata 10 early morning due to water leakage in the house. Water flowed under the front door of the house, which had been empty for a long time, and down the street. One fire truck was sent to the house, and it took firefighters about an hour to prevent the leak. This water leakage caused a lot of damaged. The building is currently empty/abandoned/derelict, and in 2008 and outdoor installation was placed on the front of the house to cover up its derelict state. Graffiti can be found on the side and back of building.

The existing interior structure of Tryggvagata 10 is damaged from a fire, therefore some of it will have to be completely rebuilt and restored for it to function again.

Traditional Icelandic technique: houses built of concrete cast on site, the houses are then thermally insulated on the inside with cellular plastic, 100-124 mm thick insulation, which is covered with a sand-cement plaster about 20-30mm thick.

The traditional concrete thickness is 150-160 mm for walls between dwellings and 180 mm for floors. Floors use to have an extra sandcement layer on top of them, 30-50mm thick. Later it was replaced by a thin layer without increasing the concrete thickness of floors.

Floors:

1. 50 mm cement layer

2. 180 mm concrete slab

Walls:

1. Paint

2. Ventilation gap

3. 160 mm concrete,

4. 125 mm insulation

5. 30 mm cement render

1. Greenhouse wall construction: light guage steel structure, aluminium frames, double glazed glass, heating pipe rings.

2. Floor construction: 40 mm cement screed, 15 mm waterproofing membrane, 50 mm drainage layer, 100 mm rigid insulation, OWSJ or steel deck on, 250 mm reinforced concrete slab.

3. Exterior wall: 16 mm paint, 150 mm reinforced concrete cast, 38 mm ventilation gap, 125 mm rigid insulation, 20 mm cement render

4. Third floor construction: 40mm cement screed, 80 mm underfloor heating pipes, 125 mm rigid insulation, 200 mm reinforced concrete slab,

5. ceiling construction: acoustical ceiling tiles on t-bar suspension system, hung from steel structure above.

6. foundation construction: 200 mm poured concrete wall, 6 mm vapour barrier, 75 mm rigid insulation

13 mm cement board

7. basement wall: 200 mm concrete,

75 mm rigid insulation, 20 mm cement screed

8. basement foundation: 200 mm poured concrete

Future use: To replicate the project (GreenHouse Park) into other empty abandoned buildings and spaces in Reykjavik. The benefits of this project is its flexibility and the fact that it will be easily adaptable in other abandoned, or empty spaces and buildings in Reykjavik, and around Iceland.