Hallgrimskirkja — One of the Iceland’s most well known jewels
When one thinks of Iceland, we tend to think of rugged landscapes and nature at its most raw, but Iceland also has an architecture that rivals its landscape when it comes to ruggedness. One of the most strange and weird looking structures in the world, Hallgrimskirkja is a popular church located in the center of Reykjavik, the capital city. At 244 feet tall, the Lutherans church is one of the tallest buildings in Iceland and lends a unique aura to the city’s skyline. It is easily visible from up to 20 km away due to its unique shape. On the first impression, the building looks more akin to some sort of a strange spaceship than a place of worship, but there lies an important rationale behind the building’s design.
The church’s construction was commissioned in 1945, but it took an astonishing 41 years to complete and the church’s architect Guðjón Samúelsson, who died in 1950 was unfortunate enough to never see his masterpiece in all its glory. Considering the fact that even to this day, a lot of visitors and tourists find the design of the church to be strange and radical, it’s not hard to imagine that in it’s day when the Church was being built, it caused a lot of controversy and debates in Iceland because of its size and radical design. But strangely enough, the church’s strangeness has translated into a kind of ineffable beauty and many critics, as well as architects, consider the design beautiful and unique. The Church was even listed among the most beautiful religious buildings in the world by Architectural Digest magazine.
Aiming to distill the rugged beauty of Iceland’s landscapes into a national architectural style, Samúelsson, who was the state architect of Iceland in the 20th century modeled the Hallgrimskirkja design after the volcanic basalt formations found throughout the country. The church’s name, on the other hand, is derived from the name of Reverend Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674), who was Iceland’s most famous poet and pastor. Compared to the radical exterior of the church, the interior is much more understated and plain except for a majestic and vast 5275-pipe organ, built in Germany and installed in 1992. At 15 meters tall and weighing 25 tons, the pipe organ makes for an impressive spectacle. A central elevator through the church leads to the bell tower which boasts spectacular and unmatched views of the city of Reykjavik.
If one is visiting Iceland, it’s definitely not advisable to miss this spectacular piece of modern architecture which dots the capital city’s skyline.
Contact Pathfinders Holidays to plan your trip to the wonderful out-of-this-world experience that is Iceland.
