Reykjavík: A City Inspired by Iceland’s Natural Wonders

Iceland is one of the most stunning and otherworldly places on Earth. From its pure glacial waterfalls, geothermal springs, and rocky mountain landscapes, exploring this island country felt like walking on another planet. The capital of this Nordic country is Reykjavík: the northernmost capital city of any nation in the world. While most people simply use Reykjavík as a base for exploring Iceland’s natural wonders, the city has more to offer than just a place to sleep.

During my four-day trip, I took two days to explore this colorful and modern city. In contrast to many other European capitals, Reykjavík was much more recently built, and its newer character can be seen throughout the city. Instead of windy, cobblestoned streets lined with imposing classical structures, the city features linear streets with contemporary buildings and colorful houses.

Ingólfur Square

The charm of Reykjavík starts in Ingólfur Square. When Iceland was first discovered, a Norseman on a Viking ship cast his high-seat pillars into the sea and planned to build a settlement wherever they landed. These pillars washed up on the shore close to this modern-day square, and thus, Reykjavík became the island’s first village. Today, the high-seat pillars are the square’s centerpiece.

Although downtown Reykjavík was a commercial district for years, many of its buildings have now been converted into hotels to accommodate Iceland’s booming tourism economy. Sprinkled within these modern buildings lies Aðalstræti 10: the city’s oldest house. Built in 1762, the wooden structure gives today’s visitors a peek back in time to when the city only resembled a village. The house is made of black timber: a commonly used material in Iceland’s earlier buildings. Today, Aðalstræti 10 functions as an exhibition space commemorating 100 years of Iceland as an independent nation.

The surrounding streets consist of brightly colored houses to lighten up the otherwise long and dark winters. The majority of them feature simple gable roofs and linear rectangular windows. During the 19^th century, a new building material became the standard for many Icelandic homes: corrugated metal. When the locals discovered that this industrial-like material was perfect for keeping out the cold of the country’s subarctic climate, they began to clad their houses with it. Thus, the corrugated metal largely replaced wood, which is only used for decorative purposes. The material is easy to paint, giving owners the ability to decorate their homes in a variety of colors.

Reykjavík City Hall and Parliament Square

After meandering through the narrow streets of downtown, I eventually arrived at one of Reykjavík’s premier civic buildings: City Hall. This modern brutalist structure was completed in 1992. Although brutalism is not one of my favorite architectural styles, I still enjoyed this building’s use of large windows, water, and greenery to give it a commanding presence over the nearby pond. Inside, I walked through a large open space containing a topographical map of the entire island.

Through the rear of City Hall, I crossed a boardwalk over the pond and back onto the streets. I passed some more colorful corrugated metal buildings before turning north into another square: Austurvöllur. While here, I visited two more of downtown’s iconic buildings. The most prominent one is a large stone hall that serves as the location for Iceland’s parliament. The commanding structure is a prominent example of 19^th-century classical architecture, with a simple façade consisting of linear arch windows. The building also has slight touches of ornamentation, such as the crown of King Christian IX. The other major building in the area is the Reykjavík Cathedral. This simple neoclassical church might be small, but it is still an important religious site in the city.

Harpa Concert Hall

Just outside downtown is the Harpa Concert Hall. Passers-by cannot miss this dazzling piece of contemporary architecture. The building opened in 2011 and was designed by the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects, who also designed the Copenhagen Opera House. The green exterior consists of tessellating pieces of polygon-shaped glass, inspired by Iceland’s basalt rock formations. At night, these glass pieces light up in a display that celebrates the northern lights.

The unique glass exterior creates an unusual lighting effect within the building’s interior. I was lucky to be able to visit the concert hall on a bright and sunny day. As I entered, I was immediately drawn to the floor, which illuminated in a polygonal pattern as light shined through the exterior glass. On the ceiling above, hexagonal-shaped mirrors further reflected the light, creating a bright interior reminiscent of a prism. I have truly never seen a building that is as reflective as this one.

Reykjavík’s streets are primarily arranged in a grid-like pattern, in contrast to many older European cities. As a result, the city feels much more like it belongs in North America than in Europe. However, the design of the buildings still stays true to Icelandic roots. The brightly colored homes in this part of town are built with traditional materials, including corrugated metal, stucco, and wood. In other parts of the city, the streets feature contemporary buildings. Much like in the rest of Scandinavia, the buildings are minimalist in design, with a simple use of materials.

Hallgrímskirkja

At the top of the hill, the Hallgrímskirkja church looks down over the whole city. This building looks like an ice crystal sticking out from the ground. Although this is my interpretation of the church, the architect, Guðjón Samúelsson, actually got his inspiration from Iceland’s volcanic rock formations. Thus, the building is an important architectural symbol of the Land of Fire and Ice. At 245 feet tall, it is the highest church in the city and can be seen from all of its neighborhoods. In contrast to the alluring exterior, the church’s interior is plain, with slender columns supporting a pointed arched nave. It looks like a traditional gothic cathedral with its ornamentation removed.

Beyond downtown, Reykjavík has plenty of other interesting buildings, including the Perlan, which I did not have time to see. However, for the time I got to spend staying in the city, I discovered a European capital that is like no other that I have visited. Each and every building relates to Iceland’s natural beauty and unique landscape, and they are designed to survive in one of the most northern places on Earth.