Architecture in Reykjavík:* That Big Church Edition

To the locals it’s Hallgrímskirkja. To you folks it’s usually “That Big Church”.

As Reykjavík’s tallest building, That Big Church (also known as Hallgrímskirkja, but don’t try to pronounce that by yourself) is a convenient landmark for tourists finding their way around Reykjavík.

Looking for Kaffibarinn? Oh, just walk down from That Big Church and turn right. What about the main square? Walk down from That Big Church and turn left. Going to Thingvellir? Walk down from That Big Church, turn right and walk for about 36 hours. (Okay, so it doesn’t work with everything.)

From an architectural standpoint That Big Church is a bit more problematic. With the general hodge-podge of styles, we’d like to call it postmodern but the only problem there is that it was designed in 1930s, several years before some guy in France invented postmodernism. So do comment if you have any better or more amusing theories. (That includes you, Ylva Brännström.)

Not content with being a huge signpost and a bit of an architectural oddity, That Big Church is also an actual place of worship. But don’t let that stop you from going there.

The have some nice choirs, and if you appreciate very big and extremely loud things we’re sure you’ll like the church organ, which looks like the assembled tailpipes of about 50 muscle cars, and can sound like someone is trying to wake up the dead. Plus it’s remote controlled.

Don’t forget to go up in the tower. (Yes, there is an elevator.) It’s a good place to look at all those cute brightly coloured roofs. You also get a nice surprise every 15 minutes or so. We’re not giving anything away, but let’s just say that this surprise might even wake you up in the morning if your hotel is close by.

(Psst. Want to see it in person? Get your cheap flight to Reykjavík with Iceland Express)

More Hallgrímskirkja: Wikipedia | Flickr | Google Maps | Choir in action | 43 places

*With apologies to these guys