Showing 1-5 of 5 results
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A-Hús
Building houses from scraps didn't mean that artistic impulses were squashed - check out A-Hús, from 1906, one of the city's finest examples of wood-and-tin architecture. Its tall turrets are topped by swirling arabesques, and the wooden struts supporting the balconies are carved with whales.
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Alþingi
Iceland's first parliament, the Alþingi, was created at Þingvellir in AD 930. After losing its independence in the 13th century, the country gradually won back its autonomy, and the modern Alþingi moved into the current basalt building in 1881; a stylish glass-and-stone annexe was completed in 2002. You're welcome to attend sessions (h Mon, Tue & Wed, Thu Oct-May) when parliament is sitting.
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Fálkahús
Some of the city's oldest houses line Ingólfstorg square. Fálkahús has a particularly interesting history - it's where Icelandic falcons were kept before being shipped off to Europe's noblemen.
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Fríkirkjan í Reykjavík
The old town's mid-18th-century houses demonstrate the Icelandic talent for adaptation. In a country devoid of building materials, most are made from driftwood (which floated from Siberia and South America) and covered in sheets of corrugated tin to protect them from the elements. Even churches, such as the Fríkirkjan í Reykjavík, were made the same way. By happy chance, this light construction method also makes the buildings pretty earthquake-proof.
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Ráðhús
Reykjavík's waterside Ráðhús is a postmodern construction that divides all who see it into 'hate-its' or 'love-its'. Concrete stilts, tinted windows and mossy walls make it look like a half-bird, half-building rising from Tjörnin. Inside there's a fabulous 3D map of Iceland - all mountains and volcanoes, with flecks of nothing-towns disappearing between the peaks. There's also a pleasant café, with free internet access for customers and an intimate view of the ducks.
Showing 1-5 of 5 results
