The institute of VIGDÍS FINNBOGADÓTTiR

From the report:
The role of the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Foundation is to create facilities for international language centers, which will operate under the auspices of UNESCO, and on the other hand to create good facilities for teaching, research and the dissemination of knowledge about languages ​​and cultures to the public and science.

The aim of the proposal is to create a framework for activities that promote the pursuit of knowledge. The arrangement and design encourage communication between people, both inside and outside the walls of the building and reflect the foundation of the activities, which are friendly relations between the peoples.

The simple basic form of the building includes an unexpected interaction of interior spaces and gardens outside and on top of the building. The building confronts contrasts, a dark exterior appearance but bright and spacious inside. The gables of the north side are a clear reference to the building’s heritage, development and affinity with foreign architectural heritage.

The access to the underground car park is turned south to reduce rush hour traffic on Brynjólfsgata and direct traffic from the main entrance, which is given a spacious plan to the west. Covered bicycle storage is connected to the main entrance ramp.

The building is four stories high and is connected to Háskólatorg via a corridor under Suðurgata on the ground floor. Two parallel wings define the simple basic form of the building. Between them is the “public area”, a bright hall that spans all floors of the building from the east entrance to the main entrance in the west. This is the heart of the institution. The route between Háskólabíó, Þjóðarbókhlöðu and Háskólatorg runs through the public area. There are rooms and halls for teaching and sharing knowledge about language and culture, as well as spaces in the public area for formal and informal communication. A passage from Háskólatorg opens into the bright and open public area on the ground floor.