About Sundhöll Reykjavík Pool

Architect

Guðjón Samúelsson.

Year of construction

1929–1937

Building history

Knud Zimsen, town engineer in 1902, mentions in his memoir that he made a proposal for the construction of an indoor swimming pool in Reykjavík, but the proposal did not get support from the town council of Reykjavík.

In 1927, Jonas from Hrifla brought up the idea that the Treasury should contribute 50,000 kr. to build to an indoor pool on the condition that the town council would contribute an equal amount. The motion was not adopted.

In 1928, the Government presented a bill to construct an indoor pool, Sundhöll Pool, in Reykjavík. According to the bill, the State would contribute 100,000 kr. and the city should contribute an equal amount plus the land.

The first suggestion of Guðjón Samúelsson was to have the building in the style of an Icelandic turf farmhouse. The pool was supposed to be in three parts, one pool was supposed to be for children, a larger one should be for athletes, and the third one was supposed to be filled with ocean water. Guðjón’s first suggestion was not followed but, in 1929, construction began on the Sundhöll building we have today. No construction happened for several years due to lack of funds. The Sundhöll Pool finally opened on March 23, 1937.

Building size:	2,661 m2	Volume:	9,590 m3
Lot size:	5,250 m2	No. of parking spaces:	30

Extension

• Information page on the Sundhöll Reykjavík extension

Main pool - Inside

Length:	Max depth:	Temperature:
Surface area: 250 m2	Total water quantity: 780 m3

Indoor children’s pool

Length: 7.2 m, width:	Max depth:
Surface area: 72 m2	Temperature:

Outdoor Pool

Wading pool

Hot tubs

Upstairs whirlpool bath	Temperature:	16.7 m2 | 17.6 m3
Upstairs hot tub	Temperature:	10.4 m2 | 10.9 m3
Outside whirlpool bath

Cold tub

Steam room

Steam room

Common to men and women:

Sauna

Sauna

Common to men and women:

Playground equipment

The pool has two diving boards. The lower is 1.0 m above the water surface, the higher is 2.75 m above the water surface.

Directors since opening

Ólafur Þorvarðarson 1937-1942

Sigríður Sigurjónsdóttir 1942-1945

Þorgeir Sveinbjarnarson 1945-1971

Hermann Hermannsson 1971-1975

Ingibjörg Sigurgeirsdóttir and Lilja Kristjánsdóttir 1975-1983

Kristján Ögmundsson 1983-1986

Stefán Kjartansson 1986-1993

Bjarni Kjartansson 1993-1998

Björg Snjólfsdóttir 1998-1999

Gísli Jensson 1999-2005

Óttarr Hrafnkellsson 2005-2005

Katrín Lovísa Irvin 2005-2010

Gísli Jensson 2010-2014

Logi Sigurfinnsson 2014-2019

Sigurður Víðisson 2019-2021

Drífa Magnúsdóttir 2021-