From a Blue Lagoon retreat to a mirrored room — a glimpse of the 2019 Architecture Masterprize winners

Project summary: “The Retreat provides a unique way to experience Iceland´s ancient bathing culture. The task faced by the architects was to push the boundaries between nature, architecture and experience, to shape a place where guests feel a connection to Icelandic nature. Built directly into a 751-year-old lava flow in the heart of the Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, the Retreat encompasses a subterranean spa, geothermal lagoon and 62-suite hotel encircled by the Blue Lagoon’s seawaters. Treasures of the site — the mineral-rich water, the rugged lava and centuries-old moss — become the focal point of every space in the building.”

Interior Design of the Year: Infinite Buildings
Company: Jean-Maxime Labrecque in Montreal, Canada
Project location: Montreal 
Lead Architect: Jean-Maxime Labrecque

Project summary: “Infinite Buildings — Buildings Inside Buildings. In addition to the exterior makeover of their residence, two art-collector clients instructed their architect to create an installation that would occupy the entire lower floor. The principal aim of this installation is to transform a claustrophobic space into a generous volume, without altering the building’s structure. This newly-created boundless space becomes a reflection about the world of tomorrow and its architecture.”

Landscape Design of the Year: The Best of Youth
Company: Unlimited Metropolis Studio in China
Lead Architect: Ums group

Project summary: “We wanted to make the space full of diversity and not easily defined. It is a leisurely and relaxed place, hiding in a green island with no rush or muddle. People who enter the place can step on the water, listen to the spring, walk, or freely settle down in a corner. No matter where they go, it is life just as it could be. The project, located outside of West 4th ring road in Beijing — a place usually perceived as having complex field conditions and a chaotic environment — is totally the opposite of our expectation. The thought of restraint is produced gradually in the process of the project.”

You can check out more 2019 AMP projects here.