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 repository of Icelandic art, the building itself was originally constructed in nineteen sixteen as a freezing plant. Architect Guðjón Samúelsson, who also designed the city’s famous Hallgrímskirkja church, gave this industrial site its initial form.