Stöðin Roadside Stop by KRADS
Drivers along a coastal road in Iceland can now stop at a curved concrete service station styled like an American diner by architects KRADS of Iceland and Denmark.
![Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_Stodian-Roadside-Stop-by-KRADS_1a.jpg)
Designed for the Icelandic branch of fuel company Shell, the Stöðin accommodates a restaurant and drive-through, as well as a shop and petrol station.
![Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_Stodian-Roadside-Stop-by-KRADS_7.jpg)
A thick concrete band wraps around the top of the exterior walls to create a canopy with an illuminated underside.
![Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_Stodian-Roadside-Stop-by-KRADS_5.jpg)
The ceiling inside the building is also exposed concrete, while cushioned panels of red, orange and yellow provide seating inside the restaurant.
![Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_Stodian-Roadside-Stop-by-KRADS_4.jpg)
Other interesting service stations from the Dezeen archive include a roadside restaurant in Spain and an alpine petrol station in Switzerland.
![Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_Stodian-Roadside-Stop-by-KRADS_3b.jpg)
See all our stories about service stations »
![Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_Stodian-Roadside-Stop-by-KRADS_8.jpg)
Photography is by Kristinn Magnússon.
Here's some more text from KRADS:
Stöðin - Roadside Stop
“Stöðin”, a roadside stop in the Icelandic countryside, is a conjoined restaurant, drive-through, convenience store and gas station. Icelandic culture is in many ways shaped by American influences due to the 65-year long presence of an American army base in the country.
![Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_Stodian-Roadside-Stop-by-KRADS_9.jpg)
Stöðin addresses this cultural relationship by incorporating architectural elements from the American diner that contrast the traditional Icelandic building method of in situ cast concrete.
![Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_Stodian-Roadside-Stop-by-KRADS_10.jpg)
The exposed concrete of the exterior bestows the diner with a permanence unknown by its American counterparts creating a friction between its streamlined aesthetics and the rustic materiality’s gravity. An elongated bar-desk transforms into seating arrangements and characterizes the semicircular restaurant, which offers panoramic views of the scenic fjord Borgarfjörður.
![Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS Stodian Roadside Stop by KRADS](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/06/dezeen_Stodian-Roadside-Stop-by-KRADS_11.gif)
Location: Borgarnes, Iceland.
Size: 312 m2
Building lot: 4.840 m2
Year compl.: 2012
Client: Skeljungur, the Icelandic arm of Shell.
Collaborators: Aok-design (on interior), Ferill (engineering, structural/HVAC),
Mannvit (electrical engineering).