iceland – from turf houses to modern concrete
Inspired by Gudmundur Jonsson and his Casa G, I wanted to look more into the architectural history of Iceland as it is a very interesting one. The island is not known for being densely forested, and since the main tree species has been birch (not so suitable for large buildings) other natural materials such as stone and turf has been used widely.
Turf also offers great insulation compared to just wood and stone. The building style evolved to include wooden ends in the house, eventually to be replaced by wooden house clothed with corrugated iron – which in turn was replaced by reinforced concrete structures. Here you can see some of the evolution from interconnecting stone and turf to wood-ended turf houses and the modern day street view in capital Reykjavik, including the famous Hotel 101 known for its modern style and fashionable decor.
Image by Mongabay
Image by Hurtswic
Image by dbsfemino
image by Giorgio V
Image by Radius/ SuperStock
Modern-day view of Reykjavik consists mainly of colourful scene of concrete houses and the countryside has more wooden ones
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Hotel 101 in Reykjavik is one of the best known buildings in Iceland with its black and white design interiors and extensive art collection.
