Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
was barely half-built and a tide of politicians and decision-makers called for the
scheme to be scrapped: Iceland shouldn't be building an opulent new opera house in
the midst of a several financial crisis. Amid much derision, however, the project
went ahead and has produced one of Reykjavík's most memorable buildings. Taking
its cue from Iceland's unusual geological forms, Harpa's exterior is composed of
hexagonal glass cubes, designed to resemble the basalt columns of lava seen all over
the country; during the dark winter months, light shows illuminate the glass panels
producing ingenious displays of colour and shapes. The main feature of the airy
interior is the classic shoebox-shaped concert hall, Eldborg , with seating for up to
1800. The country's premier venue for concerts and theatre productions, Harpa is
also home to the Icelandic symphony orchestra and national opera. Visitors are free
to wander around the building at leisure, and the café on the ground floor makes an
agreeable place to watch the comings and goings of the harbour through the
hexagonal windows.
1
Tjörnin
From the harbour, Pósthússtræti leads south past the bars and restaurants of
Tryggvagata, Hafnarstræti and Austurstræti to Vonarstræti and Tjörnin , invariably
translated into English as “the lake” or “the pond”. Tjörn and its genitive form of
tjarnar are actually old Viking words, still used in northern English dialects as “tarn” to
denote a mountain lake. Originally formed by a lagoon inside the reef that once
occupied the spot where Hafnarstræti now runs, this sizeable body of water, roughly a
couple of square kilometres in size, is populated by forty to fifty varieties of birds
- including the notorious arctic tern , known for its dive-bombing attacks on passers-by,
and found at the lake's quieter southern end. The precise numbers of the lake's bird
population are charted on noticeboards stationed at several points along the bank.
Ráðhúsið
Tjarnargata 11 • Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat & Sun noon-6pm • Free
Occupying prime position on the northern edge of Tjörnin is Ráðhúsið (City Hall).
Opened in 1992, it's a showpiece of Nordic design, a modernistic rectangular structure
of steel, glass and chrome that actually sits on the lake itself. Inside, in addition to
the city's administration offices, is a small café and, in one of the small exhibition
areas, a fabulous self-standing topographical model of Iceland. This gives an excellent
idea of the country's unforgiving geography - you can marvel at the sheer size of the
Vatnajökull glacier in the southeast (as big as the English county of Yorkshire) and the
table mountains of the West Fjords, and gain instant respect for the people who live
amid such restricting landscapes.
Ráðherrabústaðurinn
Tjarnargata 32 • Closed to the public
One of Reykjavík's grandest old wooden buildings, Ráðherrabústaðurinn (Minister's
residence) is an impressive structure. It was first built at Sólbakki in Önundarfjörður in
the West Fjords and formerly owned by a rich Norwegian businessman who's said to
have either given it or sold it to Iceland's first Home Rule minister, Hannes Hafstein,
in 1904 for the princely sum of 1kr; today it's used by the Icelandic government for
official receptions. Timber has always been a much prized commodity in Iceland since
the country has no forests capable of producing construction-grade wood. The practice
of moving wooden houses from one location to another was common in former times,
particularly during the nineteenth century when some wooden buildings were even
shipped from Norway for reconstruction on site in Iceland.
 
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