Reykjavík City Hall occupies the northern shore of Tjörnin pond, with a modern concrete and glass exterior that appears to float above the water. Completed in nineteen ninety-two, the building houses the municipal headquarters for the…
Tjörnin Pond and Gardens
This walk leads you around the calm shores of Tjörnin and through its surrounding public gardens, pointing out beloved local monuments and historic architecture along the way.
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1. Reykjavík City Hall
2. Prime Minister's Residence at Tjarnargata
The Prime Minister’s Residence on Tjarnargata is a historic building, distinguished by its light-colored facade and three prominent dormer windows overlooking the street. Originally built in eighteen ninety-two as a whaling station in the…
3. Tómas Guðmundsson • (by Halla Gunnarsdóttir)
A bronze figure sits in a relaxed, contemplative pose on a simple wooden-slat bench near the shore of the Reykjavík Pond. The statue depicts the poet Tómas Guðmundsson, dressed as a young, elegant gentleman. He gazes outward from the park,…
4. Mermaid - (Nína Sæmundsdóttir)
A bronze figure of a mermaid perched upon a granite block rises from the surface of Tjörnin, the central pond in Reykjavík. Created by Icelandic sculptor Nína Sæmundsson in nineteen forty-eight, the sculpture depicts a seated mermaid and…
5. Hljómskálagarðurinn
Hljómskálagarðurinn is a large, central green space that stretches along the southern edge of the pond known as Tjörnin. You can identify the park by the octagonal music pavilion, Hljómskálinn, which stands as its most prominent historic…
6. Hallargarðurinn
Hallargarðurinn is a public park defined by its curving paths and frequent changes in perspective, designed by Iceland’s first trained landscape architect, Jón H. Björnsson. Officially opened on August 18, 1954, it was created on the…
7. The National Gallery of Iceland
The National Gallery of Iceland sits along the edge of Tjörnin, the central pond of Reykjavík, easily recognized by the clean, concrete curves of its exterior that trace the water’s bank. While it holds the nation’s most significant…
8. Lutheran Free Church
Fríkirkjan í Reykjavík sits directly beside the waters of Lake Tjörnin, identifiable by its wooden walls and a roof that typically features a distinct red color. Established in the autumn of eighteen ninety-nine, this congregation formed…
9. The Unknown Bureaucrat
The Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat stands near the northern edge of the city pond, Tjörnin, positioned at the end of the footbridge leading to Reykjavík City Hall. Created by Icelandic sculptor Magnús Tómasson in nineteen ninety-four,…