Hallgrímskirkja

Hallgrímskirkja is the largest church in Iceland and the tallest building in Reykjavik, standing at 74.5 metres on the Skólavörðuholt hill at Hallgrímstorg 1. It is named after Hallgrímur Pétursson, the 17th-century poet and pastor best known for the Passion Hymns. The design was prepared by Guðjón Samúelsson, the State Architect, in 1937, and construction began in 1945; the church took more than four decades to complete, with the tower finished in 1974 and the nave consecrated in 1986, the 200th anniversary of Reykjavik's town charter. Samúelsson died in 1950, and the work was carried on by others according to his plans. The expressionist form is said to evoke basalt columns and the glaciers and mountains of Icelandic nature, with a stepped concrete facade that rises to the central tower. Inside, the nave is plain, white, and high, with minimal decoration and clean lines. The most prominent instrument is the Klais organ, installed in 1992, with more than 5,000 pipes and a height of about 15 metres, a centre of the church's busy concert programme. A statue of Leifur Eiríksson, a gift from the United States in 1930 to mark the millennium of the Althing, stands in front of the church. An elevator takes visitors to the viewing platform in the tower, which offers a panorama over the colourful roofs of the city, Faxaflói bay, and the surrounding mountains. The church is a working Lutheran parish church, so services and concerts affect visiting times. The structure has needed external maintenance and repairs of the concrete over the years, reflecting Iceland's weather. It is a short walk down Skólavörðustígur from the main shopping street, and the area contains galleries and cafés. Opening times and tower prices are published at hallgrimskirkja.is.