Reykjavík – Hallgrímskirkja & Harpa

Hallgrímskirkja is named after Hallgrímur Pétursson, the 17th-century clergyman and poet who wrote the Passion Hymns. It is an Evangelical-Lutheran parish church and a national sanctuary. Designed by the State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson, it took decades to build, from 1945 until the consecration of the nave in 1986, and its stepped concrete façade is often said to evoke Iceland's landscape. The tower rises about 74.5 m. In front of the church stands a statue of the explorer Leifur Eiríksson.

Harpa opened in May 2011 on the harbour front, designed by Henning Larsen Architects. It is home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and hosts concerts, conferences and festivals. Its distinctive façade of geometric glass panels was designed in collaboration with the artist Olafur Eliasson.

Hallgrímskirkja is a working parish church with Sunday services, regular organ concerts and a service in English on the last Sunday of each month. Visitors are asked to speak softly in the nave, avoid phone calls, and not bring food inside. Harpa is a lively meeting place for Reykjavík residents, used for everything from symphony concerts to graduation ceremonies.