Stjórnarráðið - The Government House (RVK)

Stjórnarráðið (The Government House) was originally built as a prison. Construction existed from 1761 and was completed in 1771. When Governor E.C.L. Moltke came to Iceland in 1819, he obtained permission to move into the building and had it extensively renovated. After that building was the home and workplace of the Governor. During 1873- 1904 it was the residence of the Governor-General, after which it housed the government when a Home Rule Minister was appointed in Reykjavík. Today this is the office of the Prime Minister. 

It was on the steps of this building that Iceland was declared a sovereign state on December 1st 1918. On the lawn are two statues by Einar Jónsson: one, put up in 1931, of Hannes Hafstein, the first Icelander to be Home Rule Minister, and the other, from 1915, of King Christian IX of Denmark giving Icelanders their constitution. 

 

 

 

Hannes Hafstein

King Christian IX of Denmark

Just stop and think what you want!

Ráðhús Reykjavíkur

Ráðhús Reykjavíkur (Reykjavík's City Hall) is situated by the Tjörnin in Reykjavík. It houses the offices of the mayor of Reykjavík, a café and a large 3D map of Iceland. It is sometimes used for art exhibitions.
The building was constructed in 1992 following an international competition won by architects Studio Granda.

 

Największy statek wycieczkowy w Reykjaviku

Do portu w Reykjaviku zawitał, jak do tej pory największy statek wycieczkowy (także największy spośród pływających po wodach terytorialnych Islandii).
Statek waży około 137 000 ton, na jego pokładzie mieści się 4300 osób.


Na stronie informacje.is przeczytałam, iż pierwszą rzeczą jaką trzeba zrobić kiedy taki statek stanie w porcie jest wpompowanie do niego wody. A dlaczego? Pracownik agencji Gára ehf., Sigvaldur Hrafn Jósafatsson odpowiedział:

„Woda islandzka jest znacznie lepsza od tej jaką mają w innych krajach i zawsze była ceniona. Dlatego to właśnie woda jest najczęściej kupowanym towarem. Zwykle takim statkom sprzedajemy około kilkaset ton wody".

 

Ljósmyndasafn Reykjavíkur

Reykjavík Museum of Photography (Ljósmyndasafn Reykjavíkur) is the only independent museum of photography in Iceland.
The museum’s exhibitions focus on Icelandic photography, works from Collection and works of foreign photographers.
On previous week I saw the exhibition "A Horse with No Name" by Spessi - Icelandic photographer.

Spessi - Sigurtór Hallbjörnsson - Born in 1956 in Ísafjördur, Iceland.



The exhibitions "A Horse with No Name" comprises portraits of bikers by Spessi on tour of the USA in 2011-2012.

Below, you can see some of pictures from his exhibition in Museum of Photography in Rvk:

 

The Mother's Garden

The Mother's Garden opened in 1925, was primarily intended for mothers with their small children.
It had previously been a patch of uncultivated land.

Motherly Love - the sculpture of Nína Sæmundsson, was installed in the garden in 1928. It was the first sculpture erected in Rvk which was not a memorial or portrait, but a work of pure art.

In Front Of