Reykjavik City Hall located at Tjörnin lake in central Reykjavik, capital of Iceland. Photo:Jeff Gilbert
The idea of a city hall in Reykjavik is almost as old as the city itself. For years the municipal authorities explored the possibility of building a city hall, studied locations and invited proposals for its design. It was not until 1987, however, on the initiation of mayor David Oddsson, that the city council decided to build the Reykjavik City Hall on the northern shore of Lake Tjornin, after inviting designs with a competition. The location was not decided on a whim. For decades, that particular site, in the heart of the old city centre, had been pointed out as a prime location for such a building. The beautiful environment of Lake Tjornin was considered a worthy setting for a building intended to proudly symbolize the city’s status as the capital of Iceland. Reykjavik City Hall was completed and inaugurated on April 14th 1992, a beautiful testimony to the vision of its creators. Within it, city residents and city council officials have a venue to meet and exchange ideas about the future of Iceland’s capital, to enjoy artistic and cultural events, and last but not least, to delight in the unique setting. The discussion of whether or not to build a city hall in Reykjavik dates back about two centuries, to 1799, only 13 years after Reykjavik was granted its municipal rights by a charter. That year the Chancellery in Copenhagen send a letter to the regional governor of Iceland in which the Council Chambers are discussed. In 1835, Tomas Saemundsson, one of the leaders of the Nationalist Movement discussed the idea in an article in their Journal Fjolnir. In 1918 the first committee to discuss the building a city hall in Reykjavik was initiated by mayor Knud Zimsen. In 1929 the Reykjavik city council offices were moved to a temporary location at Austurstraeti 16. The Executive City Council voted to allocate funds for the construction of a city hall, but the plans were never implemented.
Size: 4367px × 2911px
Location: Tjörnin, Reykjavik, Iceland
Photo credit: © Jeff Gilbert / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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