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A church resembling a volcano eruption
Reykjavík and surrounding
Architecture,  Temples, Churches
Architecture, 
Temples, Churches

There are many unusual sights in Reykjavik with no less unusual names. But the Lutheran church of Hallgrímskirkja stands out from all the variety: the building has intricate architecture and is also the tallest in the capital of Iceland.

Due to the scale of the forms (the height of the Church is 74.5 meters), Hallgrímskirkja is perfectly visible from almost anywhere in Reykjavik. And in the dark, it is also effectively illuminated. The tower has an observation platform where you can see the entire city and the nearby mountains. The church received its name in honor of the Icelandic spiritual leader, the Hallgrímur Pétursson, who lived in the 17th century.

The construction of the church took more than 40 years. The project of the building was created in 1937. Then the process stalled due to the fact that the authorities could not decide on the construction site for a long time. Then the Second World War unfolded in Europe and Iceland was not up to creating unusual architectural objects. As a result, the creation of the church began only in 1945, but, for various reasons, it was delayed until 1986, when the nave of Hallgrímskirkja was consecrated.

The architect of the project was Guðjón Samúelsson, who is considered an innovator of his time. Like many Icelanders, he was a lover of natural scenery, and his main task was to fit the temple into it organically. It is believed that according to his idea, the building was supposed to resemble an eruption of a volcano. At the same time, the wings and spire of the church clearly resemble basalt columns.

The capacity of Hallgrímskirkja is 1,2 thousand people. And, indeed, there is often a large number of visitors. After all, in addition to church rites, secular events and concerts are held there. But the main thing that attracts tourists is the local mechanical organ. It also impresses with its scale: height-15 meters, weight-25 tons, in total it has 5275 pipes. To the delight of visitors, organ concerts are regularly arranged there.

Address: Hallgrímstorg 101

Published by

Praskovia Ko

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