Vibia's designs light up the Retreat Hotel at Iceland´s Blue Lagoon

Vibia’s decorative lighting ideas are at home in the world’s most remote places. One of their latest projects is at the Blue Lagoon (Iceland), named by National Geographic to be one of the 25 Wonders of the World for its geothermal healing seawater and for the extraordinary volcanic landscape that surrounds it.

With 62 suites, a subterranean spa, a geothermal lagoon, and a restaurant where Iceland’s culinary traditions are reinterpreted, this is the site of the newly opened luxury hotel Retreat. Built directly into the 800-year-old lava flow in the UNESCO Global Geopark, this resort blurs the boundaries between nature and the man-made world thanks to interior walls and ceilings formed of lava, and the mineral-rich waters of the Blue Lagoon that flow throughout the complex.

Inspired by the landscape of this island on the edge of the Arctic Circle, the architects and designers at Basalt Architects and Design Group Italia aimed to create a luxurious ambience echoing the colours of the landscape and the purity of its geography. To light this hotel complex they chose lighting designs by Vibia, which can be seen in all of the hotel’s public spaces.

With their long, elegantly tapered cones suspended above a jagged rock counter, Jordi Vilardell’s SLIM hanging lamps enhance the hotel’s lobby, which has views to the outdoors. A trio of these stylish hanging lamps also adorns the far side of the lobby, brightening a wood-panelled seating area that looks out over the landscape.

Another seating area in the lobby features the BALANCE floor lamp, also designed by Jordi Vilardell. Illuminating the chairs, yet remaining tucked away from the flow of people, the aluminium frame cantilevering out from the main pole ends in a drum-shaped shade.  

Lastly, Diego Fortunato’s MAYFAIR desk lamps, which are a modern take on the traditional, 18th-century French bouillotte lamp, grace the reception desk. Placed at each end of the desk, these lamps bring calmness and serenity to this space.