New saunas open at Vesturbæjarlaug on the pool's 64th anniversary
New and elegant saunas will open at Vesturbæjarlaug on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 a.m. To celebrate, admission to the pool will be free from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. that day, with light refreshments and live music.
The mayor will open the new saunas in a ceremony at 7:30 a.m., and the public is invited to attend.
Vesturbæjarlaug was dedicated on Nov. 25, 1961, and opened to the public on Dec. 2 of that year. It is both fitting and symbolic that new and greatly improved sauna facilities will open on the same date — 64 years later.
The pool was originally designed by Bárður Ísleifsson and was the city's first to feature a hot tub. It quickly became clear that the facility needed to be expanded to handle demand, so an addition was built. The addition was designed by Jes Einar Þorsteinsson, who was involved in all additions to the pool from 1967 until his death in the summer of 2024.
Over the years, Vesturbæjarlaug has undergone many changes. Hot tubs have been added, and in July 2000, a steam room and the current outdoor changing rooms opened. In 2014, a large whirlpool bath and wading pool were added, the pool area was expanded, and decorative fencing was built around it. That same year, the original hot tub was converted to a cold tub, which has been very popular ever since. In 2020, a private changing room was built, and now in 2025, two new saunas and one infrared sauna are being added, with design choices based on input from residents.
The design of the new sauna area was led by Heba Hertervig and Steinunn Halldórsdóttir at VA Architects. They created modern, beautiful, and comfortable saunas that still preserve the original spirit and character of the structure.
Visitors are advised that towels are required in the saunas to ensure cleanliness and their longevity.
