Turning Selfoss into a Destination
Selfoss is a paradox: a newly built town centre made up of exact recreations of historic Icelandic buildings. Originally a stop along the main road, the town faced a new reality as infrastructure changed, removing the natural flow of visitors. The challenge was to transform this from a visual curiosity into a compelling reason to visit, stay, and invest.
We repositioned Selfoss as Iceland’s first new old town – a living cultural hub where history is not just preserved but experienced in new and unexpected ways. We developed the positioning, concept and core narrative, alongside brand identity and communication strategy, connecting architecture, culture and commercial potential. At the same time, we helped shape the physical experience, including the concept development of two new central hotels, ensuring alignment between vision and reality.
Today, Selfoss is no longer a stop. It’s a destination in its own right. The new positioning has strengthened the town’s appeal, increasing positive perception by nearly 10% and reducing negative impressions in under two years, creating a new foundation for tourism, local activity, and investment.
The first phase was realised between 2018 and 2021. The next phase is already underway. From 2024 to 2028, 40 new buildings will be added—housing hotels, retail, restaurants and residences—further establishing Selfoss as a cultural and commercial hub.
Selfoss has grown by approximately 4.7% from 2022 to 2024, reaching close to 10,000 inhabitants — a sign of steady, structural growth.
