Artistic fair-faced concrete in Reykjavik

The residential and commercial complex at Tryggvagata 13 is located in the downtown area of the renowned port district of Reykjavik, within sight of the Harpa Concert Hall. The architect Hildigunnur Haralssdottir was commissioned by the client Thorir Gunnarson and project manager Kristján Guðmundsson to design the façade in partly coloured exposed concrete - a novelty not only for Reykjavik but the whole of Iceland.
As a rule, the raw material available locally does not guarantee sufficient concrete quality for fair-faced concrete. Selected as concrete supplier, the local company Steypustödin decided to play it safe. Not only did they import Norwegian granite sand to improve the concrete, they also used MC products for the concrete cosmetic work and flew in a German applicator to ensure that this was done with the utmost professionalism.
Among the broad range of MC products used were filler Emcefix-Spachtel F lang and Emcefix-Spachtel F Extra Fein in various colours, polymer primer Murafan 39, universal filler Nafuquick Uni, sealant Repacryl and finish coatings MC-Color Proof pure and MC-Color Proof vision. In total, 1,000 m² of external exposed concrete and approx. 400 m² of its internal concrete surfaces were reworked.
Sculptures by a well-known Icelandic artist were incorporated to enhance the appearance of the complex and treated with MC-Color, the sculptor having been most impressed by its effective protection. Since its construction, the building has been making positive headlines throughout Iceland, enormously boosting the popularity of fair-faced concrete within the country.