Volcanic Architecture and Stone

The Cathedral of Christ the King, known locally as Landakotskirkja, rises above western Reykjavík with a distinctive, flat-topped square tower that breaks the silhouette of the city skyline. Constructed of reinforced concrete in the…

Alþingishúsið, the Icelandic parliament house, is defined by its exterior walls of dark, hewn dolerite, a volcanic stone that gives the nineteenth-century building a heavy, rugged appearance. It stands at the edge of Austurvöllur square in…

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,…

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…

Hallgrímskirkja is defined by its soaring concrete facade, where tiers of vertical stone columns fan outward to mirror the natural basalt lava flows found at Iceland's Svartifoss waterfall. Standing seventy-four and a half meters tall,…

The National Theatre of Iceland, known locally as Þjóðleikhúsið, stands out for its dark, textured facade of crushed obsidian, quartz, and silver berg. Architect Guðjón Samúelsson created this distinct, art-deco-inspired exterior by…

Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre stands along the waterfront with a shimmering facade of twelve-sided glass modules. These panels, designed by artist Olafur Eliasson in collaboration with Henning Larsen Architects, mimic the…