Stjórnarráðshúsið (Government House)

Stjórnarráðshúsið, the Government House, stands on a low rise above Lækjartorg square in central Reykjavik and houses the office of the Prime Minister of Iceland. It was built between 1761 and 1771 as a prison, designed by the Danish architect Nicolai Eigtved's circle and constructed in stone under royal orders, and it is among the oldest stone buildings in the country. For decades it held convicts, and it later served as the residence of the Danish governor and the Icelandic home-rule officials. The building took on its role as seat of government when Iceland gained home rule in 1904, with the first minister for Iceland, Hannes Hafstein, taking up his office there. Since then, it has been the working centre of the Icelandic cabinet; the Icelandic republic was proclaimed in 1944, and the building remains the administrative heart of the state. In the 1900s the structure was modified, among other things by changes to its roof and interior, but its overall form, a white, symmetrical building with a steep roof and a modest central pediment, has been preserved. In front of the house stands a statue of King Christian IX, who presented the constitution of 1874, and nearby is the statue of Hannes Hafstein. The building is an active government office, so visitors view it from the outside, with the surrounding lawn and hillside open to the public. It sits a short walk from Austurvöllur, the Parliament House, and the harbour, and is often included in walking tours of the city centre. The site illustrates the transition of Icelandic government from colonial administration to self-rule and independence. Official information about the ministry is published at stjornarradid.is, and visitors should treat the grounds with the respect due to a working government building.