Blue Lagoon

Bláa Lónið, Lagoon, Swimming, Spa, Hotel, Clinic

The project's objectives

The Retreat Blue Lagoon 

The project consisted of the engineering design for a hotel and spa for the Blue Lagoon. Among the functions accommodated in the spa are multi-function rooms, therapy wing, restaurant, dressing rooms, laundry room and storage area. The hotel offers among other things a shopping, a gym and a restaurant.

Special considerations were made to protect the nature surrounding the lagoon. Sewage goes through a sewage treatment system and is then led to a borehole. Greywater from the heating system, showers and washing machines also goes through a separate treatment system and is after that led down to a borehole.

The technical systems in the building are many and complex. This is due to the many different rooms and spa areas that all have different requirements for temperature and atmosphere. The building is ventilated with mechanical ventilation with air heaters for each area in the building. The heating is done with floor heating and ventilation. Floor radiators and ventilation grills are used by big window areas to prevent precipitation and cold draft. A snow melting system is in all walkways in front of entrances. All the buildings are equipped with a fire sprinkler system.

EFLA's scope in the project:

• Structural design
• Electrical design
• Ventilation and pipe design
• Fire and safety design
• Acoustic design
• Building physics design
• Facade design

The time span of the project was 2013-2015.

Blue Lagoon skin clinic

The basement area has a cast in place concrete elements including slab on grade, columns, beams and slab above. Most of the walls and slabs in the building are made from precast elements. Some of the precast elements are insulated sandwich panels with a washed lava coating on the outside but the interior wall elements either have washed lava on one side or are smooth sides and the slab elements are made of filigran panels with concrete topping. 

The washed lava coating was developed by EFLA which was also in charge of pre-testing and weathering testing of the lava concrete. Few of the walls and columns are cast in place concrete but structural steel is also used in the structural system. The roof is built up with sandwich panels which span between steel beams.

Special requirements were made regarding all structural elements due to special environmental surroundings. All steel was hot-dip galvanized and painted before being constructed. Stainless steel reinforcement was also used for the outer layer in the precast elements.

Construction began in March 2004 and was completed a year later.

Blue Lagoon production centre

EFLA was commissioned to design a variety of key systems for use in the project, including its structural design. The structure is supported by a series of columns and wall footings cast on-site, with a concrete slab on grade. 

The exterior walls are constructed from precast sandwich wall panels, with a washed lava coating on the outside, and the roof from light sandwich panels supported by steel beams spanning up to 18 metres.

A number of special requirements were created by the structure's unique surroundings. All steel was hot-dip galvanized and painted before construction, while stainless steel reinforcement was used for the outer layer in the precast elements.

EFLA's scope in the project

• Structural design
• Geotechnical design
• Fire design, including escape routes, fire and smoke barriers, detection and alarm systems, automatic sprinkler system
• Overall acoustic design

The time span of the project was 2003-2005.