STEYPUSTÖÐIN

Pálmar Kristmundsson renovated Steypustoðin (The Concrete Factory) for personal use as a studio and "creative station" for PK Arkitektar. The existing structure was originally built by local fishermen of timber and concrete, and was chosen by Pálmar for Its robust and simple character and reference to the humble local atmosphere. The building's timber roof rests on fair-faced concrete walls lined with weathered plywood. New glass was installed in the existing windows and extra openings were cut to extend the view of the horizon and the Dýrafjörður fjord. The facade was clad entirely in rusted steel grindings, and the floor was composed of gravel from the surrounding shoreline

The imperfections inherent in the building's materials are a celebrated and integral component of its character, and its location near the sea ensures that the building writ continue to weather and rust, over time amplifying visual cues about its relationship with its natural surroundings. Pálmar Kristmundsson's own words about the structure "Some of the most exciting projects are those that adapt non-dwelling facilities - like warehouses or abandoned factories - because those spaces offer a greater challenge and free designers from the dimensional limitations of a dwelling-based floor plate. The concrete factory at Sandasandur one of those cast-aside places. Abandoned for some years, it never left my mind as the most fascinating and ridiculous location for a creative environment."