Explore Reykjavík

Reykjavík Cathedral is the Lutheran cathedral on Austurvöllur square, built in 1787–1796 to a neoclassical design by Andreas Kirkerup and enlarged by Winstrup in 1847–1848. It is the seat of the Bishop of Iceland, and every session of parliament opens with a service here before members walk to the parliament house next door.

Alþingishúsið is the parliament house on Austurvöllur square in Reykjavík, built in 1880–1881 of hewn Icelandic dolerite to a design by the Danish architect Ferdinand Meldahl. It holds the debating chamber of the Alþingi, and reliefs over four upper windows show Iceland's guardian spirits. Visitors see the building from the outside.

Harpa is the concert hall and conference centre on the old harbour in Reykjavík, opened in May 2011 and home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Henning Larsen Architects designed it with the artist Olafur Eliasson, whose facade of geometric glass panels recalls basalt columns. Its foyers, shops and restaurants are open outside concerts.

Reykjavík City Hall stands on the north shore of Tjörnin pond, a concrete and glass building by Studio Granda inaugurated in 1992 that houses the city council and the mayor's office. Its ground-floor public hall, Tjarnarsalur, is open to visitors and holds a 76 m² relief model of Iceland, alongside exhibitions and events.

Hallgrímskirkja is the Lutheran parish church on the Skólavörðuholt hill in Reykjavík, designed by state architect Guðjón Samúelsson and built between 1945 and 1986. Its 74.5-metre concrete tower, modelled on basalt columns, has a lift to a viewing deck, and a statue of Leif Erikson stands in front.

Höfði is a white timber house by the shore in Reykjavík, prefabricated in Norway and put up in 1909 for the French consul. Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met here at the 1986 Reykjavík Summit. The city uses it for official receptions, so visitors see it from the outside.