The Smelter’s Singing Bowl and Thermal Baths’ provide a community space for the local smelters to relax and congregate after work. In the past 25 years, the small fishing town of Akranes has boomed with a new population: Aluminium smelters from Iceland’s largest smelting plant. The town has expanded threefold since the plant’s construction, and this project aims to give the smelters a place to relax after work. Bathing and communal singing are both social events where one can meet neighbours, friends or colleagues. Using local Akranesi concrete and aluminium from the plant, the building focuses on handmade construction techniques. Fabric-formed concrete is used to construct a singing bowl, housed within an aluminium shell. Using both soft and stiff formwork, the building moves from thick to thin, soundproof to porous and curates an intimate experience for both bathers and singers.
