INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CAPITAL OF

ICELAND
(REYKJAVi'K)

Roads
Per capita car ownership in Iceland is among the highest in the world at roughly 522 vehicles per
1,000 residents,[19] though Reykjavk is not severely affected by congestion. Several multi-lane
highways (mainly dual carriageways) run between the most heavily populated areas and most
frequently driven routes. Parking spaces are also plentiful in most areas. Public transportation
consists of a bus system called Strt bs. Route 1 (the Ring Road) runs through the city outskirts
and connects the city to the rest of Iceland

Airports and seaports

Reykjavk Airport, the second largest airport in the country (after Keflavk International Airport), is
positioned inside the city, just south of the city centre. It is mainly used for domestic flights, as well
as flights to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. It was built there by the British occupation force

during World War II, when it was on the outskirts of the then much smaller Reykjavk. Since 1962
there has been some controversy regarding the location of the airport, since it takes up a lot of
valuable space in central Reykjavk.
Reykjavk has two seaports, the old harbour near the city centre which is mainly used by fishermen
and cruise ships and Sundahfn in the east city which is the largest cargo port in the country

Railways
There are no public railways in Iceland, due to its sparse population, but the locomotives used to
build the docks are on display.

FOR MORE PHOTOS OF ICELAND GO TO

THIS LINK
https://www.flickr.com/photos/acljohn/sets/72157623
127241510

ARCHITECTURE IN ICELAND

COVER PHOTO OF PRESENTATION

PROPOSED BY ME

Turf houses
The original turf houses constructed by the original settlers of Iceland (from the
west coast of Norway) were based on Viking longhouses (langhs). The exterior turf walls were
lined internally with a wooden frame, which was then panelled, with the roof resting on two rows of
pillars dividing the internal space. The main room of the house was known as the skli, consisting
of a central open hearth and two raised platforms, known as set. Similar designs of longhouse have
been found across Scandinavia, the Faroes and the Scottish isles, as well as Greenland.
Later houses included an additional living space, the stofa, and would be accompanied
by smaller outhouses.This layout also incorporated a pantry and lavatory. Over the years, the layout
became more compartmentalised, eventually to include a bastofa (a heated sauna room). In
response to the colder Icelandic climate, the sleeping area was eventually moved into the
bastofa.The design evolved as the entrance was moved between the living room and main room;
all the rooms in the house were joined by a central passageway, this layout was known as a
gangabr. This was possibly in response to a deteriorating climate, and, as timber supplies
dwindled, people went back to living in the one-room bastofa layout.

Around 1791, under Danish interest, a gable-fronted design (burstabr) was

proposed by Gulaugur Sveinsson, which became widespread in the south of Iceland where the
climate is warmer. An example of this design is the Glaumbr turf farmhouse at Skagafjordur Folk
Museum which was opened in 1952 at the Glaumbr Farm.
By 1900 the design was evolving still, seeing such additions as the framhs, a kind
of timber porch at the front entrance of buildings. Today grasshouses are no longer constructed in
Iceland (construction stopped in the mid-20th century), and the few remaining examples are
generally open to public as open-air museums. There is some evidence to suggest a Celtic influence
in early Icelandic architecture in the form of stone roundhouses and sheepcotes, however much of
this is still shaded in obscurity

Medieval age
(CHURCHES AS A SYMBOL OF
ARTISTIC ARCHITECTURE)
With the arrival of Christianity in Iceland in 1000, construction began on
numerous impressive churches. A majority were probably constructed out of
turf, but there were also numerous timber-framed churches, however not much
remains of these buildings today. The first stone churches appeared in around in

the 18th century, quite late considering the significant lack of timber on the
island (even access to driftwood was not widespread).
The church in Hlar, the largest to be built out of stone, is pictured to the right.

Contemporary architecture
In recent years, many larger-scale plans have been put forward for both
projects in Reykjavk and Kpavogur. Many of these projects were
proposed during the boom period before the financial crisis, including
Icelands first skyscrapers, the Hfatorg and Smratorg towers. Many of
the taller buildings in the Reykjavk area look out of place when compared
with their neighbours, for example traditional wooden houses neighbour
the Hfatorg Tower 1. Other projects include the Harpa, completed in

2011, whose ambitious plans had originally included a world trade centre.
Funding for the concert hall became insecure with the economic crisis,
although the Icelandic government later promised that the project would be
completed, with state funding.