Revitalized Laugavegur: A Narrative of Retail Perseverance
In the heart of Reykjavik, Laugavegur - the city's esteemed shopping street - faces a new chapter as decreased foreign tourism forces businesses to close their doors. However, vacated spaces along this iconic thoroughfare have attracted innovative ventures, blending social, creative, and retail experiences.
On a cold and sunny November morning, Anna de Matos contemplates a collection of freshly cut keys outside Laugavegur 51, her latest project: Munasafn RVK Tool Library. After numerous attempts, she leads me into her new workspace. The previous tenant has moved out, making way for this community tool-sharing initiative that, until recently, operated in an industrial basement in Grandi.
The window displays a "For Rent" sign. Photographer John Pearson captures the image.
The impact of the pandemic on Laugavegur is unmistakable. Tourist crowds are absent, and "Til leigu" signs hang in departed shops' windows, revealing an empty retail landscape. A survey by city authorities estimates that nearly 14% of retail spaces on Laugavegur are currently unoccupied, with tourist-dependent businesses hit hardest by the scarcity of visitors.
Nevertheless, this shift has sparked creative responses from resourceful locals. Empty storefronts on Laugavegur now serve as homes for innovative enterprises, a reflection of nature's aversion to a vacuum.
Salomé Katrín and Bjarni Daníel successfully operate Hjarta Reykjavikur, a design and craft boutique catering to Icelandic residents. Previously reliant on tourist sales, they broadened their offerings to puzzles and a gallery during the tourism slump, necessitating a larger store. Sæunn Ósk Unnsteinsdóttir, a Reykjavik City project manager, highlights this example of businesses adapting to a changing landscape.
Vacant spaces have also been transformed into platforms for local artists. Rosa Birgitta Isfeld launched "Talið í Tónum," a musical advent calendar event featuring free, daily pop-up performances by local musicians from December 1st to the 23rd. After finding an empty gift shop on Laugavegur, she secured the space for the entire month, facilitated by the city's Miðborgarsjóður program.
Geoffrey Thor Huntingdon-Williams, manager of Prikið Kaffihus, runs the "Sköpum líf í lokun" project, designed to support initiatives that revitalize the city post-pandemic. One such endeavor is a swap shop slated to open at Laugavegur 2, a venue previously occupied by an Icelandic street-food business.
As Anna of Munasafn RVK Tool Library ponders the future of Laugavegur, she sees potential in the change brought about by the pandemic. "It's a push in the right direction," she reflects. "Has Covid-19 technically helped us? I don't know if 'help' is the word! But we are definitely pushing it forward."
John Pearson documents his observations in Reykjavik as a freelance journalist. Originally from London, he now resides in Iceland and contributes to the city's evolving cultural landscape through music broadcasting, underwater photography, and scuba diving instruction.
- Anna de Matos, amid freshly cut keys at Laugavegur 51, believes the pandemic-induced closure of businesses has pushed Laugavegur in the right direction.
- The formerly tourist-focused design and craft boutique, Hjarta Reykjavikur, expanded its offerings to cater to a growing local market during the tourism slump on Laugavegur.
- Local artists, such as Rosa Birgitta Isfeld, have transformed vacant storefronts on Laugavegur into platforms for daily pop-up performances during the holiday season.
- Geoffrey Thor Huntingdon-Williams' "Sköpum líf í lokun" project aims to support initiatives that revitalize Reykjavik's retail industry in the aftermath of the pandemic.
- John Pearson, as a freelance journalist, captures the evolving landscape of Reykjavik's retail sector and contributes to its cultural growth through various creative outlets.
