Sundlaugin (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈsʏntˌlœyjɪn], the swimming pool) is a recording studio located near Álafoss in the town of Mosfellsbær in Iceland known for being the recording and rehearsal location of post-rock band Sigur Rós.
The location was originally a swimming pool built in the 1930s which had been abandoned when Sigur Rós purchased it in 1999 and converted it and adjacent buildings into a studio.
[1][2] The band originally intended to record their third album, titled ( ), in an abandoned NATO tracking base in the northernmost mountain in Iceland, but after inspection decided it was too impractical.
[3] Much of the band's photography and artwork is taken from the surrounding landscape, such as the art found on the first album recorded in the studio, ( ).
[4] The recording studio has also been used for recording, mixing and mastering (usually assisted by the studio's sound engineer Birgir Jón "Biggi" Birgisson) by a wide group of mainly Icelandic artists and bands, including:[5][6] As of 2020, Sundlaugin is owned by Sigur Rós keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson.