Hallgrímskirkja is a Lutheran parish church of the Church of Iceland, designed by the State Architect, Guðjón Samúelsson, who was commissioned in 1937. Construction began in 1945 and ended in 1986. The crypt was consecrated in 1948, the steeple and side wings were completed in 1974, and the nave was consecrated in 1986.
The church rises 244 feet (74.5 m), making it the largest church in Iceland and the second-tallest building in the country. The article describes the style as Expressionist Neo-Gothic. Guðjón reportedly designed it to resemble Iceland's trap rocks, mountains and glaciers, especially the columnar basalt of Svartifoss.
The organ, built by Johannes Klais of Bonn and finished in December 1992, has 5,275 pipes. It stands 49 feet (15 m) tall and weighs 25 metric tons. A lift takes visitors to a viewing deck. The church is named for the poet and cleric Hallgrímur Pétursson.
Comments