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{{About|the church in Reykjavík|the church in [[Hvalfjarðarsveit]]|Hallgrímskirkja (Hvalfjörður)}}
[[Image:Iceland-Reykjavik-Hallgrimskirkja-1.jpg|thumb|right]]
{{Infobox church
[[Image:Hallgrímskirkja.jpeg|thumb|right]]
| name = Hallgrímskirkja
| fullname =
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| native_name_lang = [[Icelandic]]
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| location =
| country = [[Iceland]]
| denomination = [[Lutheran]]
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| website = {{URL|http://hallgrimskirkja.is/}}
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| founded date = 1945
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| consecrated date = 26 October 1986
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| status = Active
| functional status = [[Parish church]]
| heritage designation =
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| architect = [[Guðjón Samúelsson]]
| architectural type =
| style = [[Expressionist architecture|Expressionist]]
[[Neo-Gothic architecture|Neo-Gothic]]
| groundbreaking =
| completed date = 1986
| construction cost =
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| parish = [[Reykjavík]]
| archbishop =
| bishop = [[Agnes M. Sigurðardóttir]]
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'''Hallgrímskirkja''' ({{IPA-is|ˈhatl̥ˌkrimsˌcʰɪr̥ca}}, ''Church of Hallgrímur'') is a [[Lutheran]] ([[Church of Iceland]]) parish church in [[Reykjavík]], Iceland. At {{Convert|74.5|m}} tall, it is the largest church in Iceland and among the [[List of tallest buildings in Iceland|tallest structures in the country]].<ref name=Hyperion>{{cite AV media | date= 1997 |title= Organ Fireworks VII – [[Christopher Herrick]] at the organ of the Hallgrimskirkja |medium= CD |publisher=Hyperion }}</ref> Known for its distinctively curved spire and side wings, it has been described as having become an important symbol for Iceland's national identity since its completion in 1986.<ref name="Benárd 2018">{{cite journal |last1=Benárd |first1=Aurél |title=Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík. A Late Example of Expressionist Church Architecture |journal=YBL Journal of Built Environment |date=September 2018 |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=86–102 |doi=10.2478/jbe-2018-0006 |s2cid=73608519 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The church is named after the Icelandic poet and cleric [[Hallgrímur Pétursson]] (1614–1674), author of the [[Passion Hymns]].<ref>Other Icelandic churches named in memory of the same Hallgrímur are the Hallgrímskirkja in [[Langanes|Saurbær]], where Hallgrímur was minister, and since 1957 the church of the same name in [[Kjósarhreppur]].</ref>
The '''Hallgrímskirkja''' (literally, ''the church of Hallgrímur'') is a church in [[Reykjavík]], [[Iceland]]. At 74.5 [[metre]]s (244 ft), it is the tallest building in [[Iceland]], the [[Longwave radio mast Hellissandur]] being the tallest structure. The church is named after an Icelandic [[poet]] and [[Anglican terminology|clergyman]], [[Hallgrímur Pétursson]] ([[1614]] to [[1674]]), the author of the [[Passíusálmar]], among other works.


==Description==
The design, by State Architect [[Guðjón Samúelsson]], was commissioned in [[1937]]. It took 38 years to build the church; construction work began in [[1945]] and ended in [[1986]], the landmark tower being completed long before the church's actual completion. It is situated in the [[city]] centre and is visible throughout the city and has become one of [[Reykjavík]]'s best known symbols.
Situated on the hilltop Skólavörðuholt {{IPA-is|ˈskouːlaˌvœrðʏˌhɔl̥t|}} near the centre of Reykjavík, the church is one of the city's best-known landmarks and is visible throughout the city. State Architect [[Guðjón Samúelsson]]'s design of the church was commissioned in 1937. He is said to have designed it to resemble the [[trap rock]]s, [[mountain]]s and [[glacier]]s of Iceland's landscape,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hallgrimskirkja.is/um-hallgrimskirkju/|title=Um Hallgrímskirkju|date=May 26, 2015|access-date=February 7, 2021|archive-date=June 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601171219/https://www.hallgrimskirkja.is/um-hallgrimskirkju/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=AAA /> in particular its [[columnar basalt]] "organ pipe" formations (such as those at [[Svartifoss]]).<ref name="Benárd 2018"/> The design is similar in style to the [[expressionist architecture]] of [[Grundtvig's Church]] of [[Copenhagen]], Denmark, completed in 1940, which has been described as a likely influence, alongside the expressionist [[Kirche am Hohenzollernplatz]] in Berlin, Germany (completed in 1933).<ref name="Benárd 2018"/>


Architecturally, Hallgrímskirkja consists of three parts: The tower with the distinctly curved side wings which house service facilities, a [[nave]] in more traditional architecture, and a sanctuary at the other end of the nave, whose cylindrical shape has been described as evoking Viking war helmets.<ref name="Benárd 2018"/> Hallgrímskirkja also has a 244 ft (74.37 meters) dome.<ref name="Benárd 2018" />
The church houses an impressive pipe organ by the german organbuilder [[Orgelbau Klais|Klais]]. It has four manuals (keyboards), 102 ranks, 72 registers and 5275 pipes. It´s construction was finished in 1992.


Inside the church you can light a candle for a dead family member for 100 ISK (0,6913 USD).
The statue in front of the church represents [[Leifr Eiríksson]], son of [[Eiríkr rauði]]. It is somewhat older than the church itself, being a gift from the [[United States]] on the [[1930]] [[Althing]] Millennial Festival, commemorating the 1000th anniversary of Iceland's parliament.


Hallgrímskirkja is best described as a piece of Expressionist architecture because of its tower-like exterior, its rejection of traditional styles and its dynamic design.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EXPRESSIONISM |url=http://architecture-history.org/schools/EXPRESSIONISM.html |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=architecture-history.org}}</ref><ref name="Benárd 2018" /> It was heavily influenced by another building, Grundtvigskirken.<ref name="Benárd 2018" /> Like Hallgrímskirkja, Grundtvigskirken, has an organ-like appearance.<ref name="Benárd 2018" />
There is also a church called [[Hallgrímskirkja]] in [[Saurbær]] where Hallgrímur was minister.


It took 41 years to build the church:<ref>{{cite web |last1=Árnadóttir |first1=Vala |title=A Brief History of Hallgrímskirkja, Iceland's Picturesque Church |url=https://theculturetrip.com/europe/iceland/articles/a-brief-history-of-hallgrimskirkja-icelands-picturesque-church#:~:text=it%20took%2041%20years%20to%20complete%20the%20whole%20building |website=The Culture Trip |access-date=29 November 2023}}</ref> construction started in 1945 and ended in 1986, but the landmark tower was completed long before the whole church was finished. The [[crypt]] beneath the choir was [[consecration|consecrated]] in 1948, the [[Steeple (architecture)|steeple]] and wings were completed in 1974,<ref name=AAA>{{cite journal|last=Noyes|first=David|title=Iceland – Europe's coolest little hot spot|journal=Going Places|publisher=[[American Automobile Association|AAA]]|date=March–April 2009|page=28}}</ref> and the [[nave]] was consecrated in 1986.<ref name=Hyperion /> At the time of construction, the building was criticized as too old-fashioned and as a blend of different architectural styles.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|title=Steinsteypuöldin|url=http://ruv.is/sarpurinn/ruv/steinsteypuoldin/20160915|language=en|access-date=2017-01-18}}</ref> The church was originally intended to be less tall, but the leaders of the Church of Iceland wanted a large spire to outshine [[Landakotskirkja]] (Landakot's Church), which was the cathedral of the [[Catholic Church in Iceland]].<ref name=":0" />
== External links ==


The interior is {{Convert|1676|m2}}.{{citation needed|date = September 2020}}
* [http://islandsmyndir.is/html_skjol/sudvesturland/reykjavik/hallgrimskirkja/hallgrimskirkja_yfirlit1.htm Hallgrímskirkja &mdash; Photo gallery from www.islandsmyndir.is]


The church has a carillon of bells at the top, that ring each hour.
* [http://www.hallgrimskirkja.is Hallgrímskirkja's official website]


The church houses two large [[Pipe organ|pipe organs]]. The first, a Rieger-Kloss organ was installed in 1946.<ref name=":02">{{cite magazine |id={{ProQuest|1186364}} |last1=Hick |first1=Brian |title=Hallgrimskirkja, Reykjavik |magazine=The Organ |location=London |volume=85 |date=August 2006 |pages=28–31 }}</ref> It was moved to the South Wing when it opened and a new organ was built.<ref name=":02" /> The next pipe organ was commissioned from Frobenius in 1985.<ref name=":02" /> Soon after, in 1988 the church council decided that the Frobenius pipe organ wasn't big enough and commissioned another from the German organ builder [[Johannes Klais]] of [[Bonn]].<ref name=":02" /> It has electronic action; the pipes are remote from the four [[Manual (music)|manuals]] and [[pedal keyboard|pedal]] console. There are 102 ranks, 72 stops and 5275 pipes.<ref name=Hyperion /> It is {{Convert|15|m}} tall and weighs {{Convert|25|MT}}. Its construction was finished in December 1992.
{{Euro-struct-stub}}

[[Einar Jónsson]] donated the statue of Jesus to the church in 1948, which stands right next to the entrance to the nave. Jesus receives the Holy Spirit after being baptized in the Jordan.

The church is also used as an [[observation tower]]. An observer can take a lift up to the viewing deck and view Reykjavík and the surrounding mountains.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sachs |first=Andrea |last2=Botsford |first2=Jabin |date=May 6, 2016 |title=Around the world in 20 days: Follow two reporters on a 21,623-mile journey |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/style/2016/04/29/around-the-world-in-20-days/ |journal=EBSCO |issue=19 |pages=1}}</ref>

[[Statue of Leif Erikson (Reykjavík)|The statue]] of explorer [[Leif Erikson]] (c.970 – c.1020) by [[Alexander Stirling Calder]] in front of the church predates its construction. It was a gift from the United States in honor of the 1930 [[Althing]] Millennial Festival, commemorating the 1000th anniversary of the convening of Iceland's [[parliament]] at [[Þingvellir]] in 930&nbsp;AD.<ref name=AAA />

== Gallery ==
<gallery widths="200" heights="200" >
File:View from the top of Hallgrímskirkja.JPG|View north from the top of Hallgrímskirkja
File:Hallgrímskirkja - Last Christmas (3160371678).jpg|[[Chancel]] of Hallgrimskirkja
File:Hallgrímskirkja at night.jpg|Hallgrímskirkja at night
File:Interior of Hallgrímskirkja Church.jpg|[[Nave]] of Hallgrimskirkja
File:Hallgrímskirja Pipe Organ.jpg|The pipe organ
File:Hallgrímskirkja Front Door.jpg|Main door
File:201708 Hallgrímskirkja b34.jpg|Sanctuary
File:Reykjavik-38-Hallgrimskirche-Orgel-Organist Solbergsson-2018-gje.jpg|Jesus statue and the organ with organist Solbergsson (2018)
File:Iceland Images for April 2016 03.JPG|Side view of Hallgrímskirkja at night
File:Reykjavik-32-Hallgrimskirche-Leifur Eiriksson-2018-gje.jpg|[[Statue of Leif Erikson (Reykjavík)|Statue]] of [[Leif Erikson]]
</gallery>
{{Panorama
|image = 20200228-161749-Pano Hallgrímskirkja.jpg
|height = 160
|alt = Buildings in the city center of Reykjavik covered in snow, the airport on the left, the harbor in the middle and behind that the Atlantic Ocean, in the distance mountains covered with snow and a partly broken cloud cover.
|caption = Panoramic view from the top of the Hallgrímskirkja
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{Commons category-inline}}
*{{Official website|http://www.hallgrimskirkja.is}} {{in lang|is}}
*[http://kirkjukort.net/kirkjur/hallgrimskirkja_0234.html Hallgrímskirkja on the Icelandic Church Map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110506074434/http://kirkjukort.net/kirkjur/hallgrimskirkja_0234.html |date=2011-05-06 }}


{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Churches in Iceland]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Iceland]]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Hallgrimskirkja}}
[[de:Hallgrímskirkja]]
[[Category:Towers in Iceland]]
[[da:Hallgrímskirkja]]
[[Category:Churches completed in 1986]]
[[es:Hallgrímskirkja]]
[[Category:Churches in Reykjavík]]
[[fr:Hallgrímskirkja]]
[[Category:Art Deco architecture]]
[[hu:Hallgrímskirkja]]
[[Category:Terminating vistas]]
[[is:Hallgrímskirkja]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Reykjavík]]
[[nl:Hallgrímskirkja]]
[[Category:Expressionist architecture]]
[[sv:Hallgrímskirkja]]

Latest revision as of 02:01, 9 January 2024

This article is about the church in Reykjavík. For the church in Hvalfjarðarsveit, see Hallgrímskirkja (Hvalfjörður).
Hallgrímskirkja
Map
64°08′30″N 21°55′36″W / 64.1417°N 21.9266°W / 64.1417; -21.9266
CountryIceland
DenominationLutheran
Websitehallgrimskirkja.is
History
StatusActive
Founded1945
Consecrated26 October 1986
Architecture
Functional statusParish church
Architect(s)Guðjón Samúelsson
StyleExpressionist Neo-Gothic
Completed1986
Specifications
Spire height74.5 metres (244 ft)
Administration
ParishReykjavík
Clergy
Bishop(s)Agnes M. Sigurðardóttir

Hallgrímskirkja (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈhatl̥ˌkrimsˌcʰɪr̥ca], Church of Hallgrímur) is a Lutheran (Church of Iceland) parish church in Reykjavík, Iceland. At 74.5 metres (244 ft) tall, it is the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country.[1] Known for its distinctively curved spire and side wings, it has been described as having become an important symbol for Iceland's national identity since its completion in 1986.[2] The church is named after the Icelandic poet and cleric Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674), author of the Passion Hymns.[3]

Description

[edit]

Situated on the hilltop Skólavörðuholt [ˈskouːlaˌvœrðʏˌhɔl̥t] near the centre of Reykjavík, the church is one of the city's best-known landmarks and is visible throughout the city. State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson's design of the church was commissioned in 1937. He is said to have designed it to resemble the trap rocks, mountains and glaciers of Iceland's landscape,[4][5] in particular its columnar basalt "organ pipe" formations (such as those at Svartifoss).[2] The design is similar in style to the expressionist architecture of Grundtvig's Church of Copenhagen, Denmark, completed in 1940, which has been described as a likely influence, alongside the expressionist Kirche am Hohenzollernplatz in Berlin, Germany (completed in 1933).[2]

Architecturally, Hallgrímskirkja consists of three parts: The tower with the distinctly curved side wings which house service facilities, a nave in more traditional architecture, and a sanctuary at the other end of the nave, whose cylindrical shape has been described as evoking Viking war helmets.[2] Hallgrímskirkja also has a 244 ft (74.37 meters) dome.[2]

Inside the church you can light a candle for a dead family member for 100 ISK (0,6913 USD).

Hallgrímskirkja is best described as a piece of Expressionist architecture because of its tower-like exterior, its rejection of traditional styles and its dynamic design.[6][2] It was heavily influenced by another building, Grundtvigskirken.[2] Like Hallgrímskirkja, Grundtvigskirken, has an organ-like appearance.[2]

It took 41 years to build the church:[7] construction started in 1945 and ended in 1986, but the landmark tower was completed long before the whole church was finished. The crypt beneath the choir was consecrated in 1948, the steeple and wings were completed in 1974,[5] and the nave was consecrated in 1986.[1] At the time of construction, the building was criticized as too old-fashioned and as a blend of different architectural styles.[8] The church was originally intended to be less tall, but the leaders of the Church of Iceland wanted a large spire to outshine Landakotskirkja (Landakot's Church), which was the cathedral of the Catholic Church in Iceland.[8]

The interior is 1,676 square metres (18,040 sq ft).[citation needed]

The church has a carillon of bells at the top, that ring each hour.

The church houses two large pipe organs. The first, a Rieger-Kloss organ was installed in 1946.[9] It was moved to the South Wing when it opened and a new organ was built.[9] The next pipe organ was commissioned from Frobenius in 1985.[9] Soon after, in 1988 the church council decided that the Frobenius pipe organ wasn't big enough and commissioned another from the German organ builder Johannes Klais of Bonn.[9] It has electronic action; the pipes are remote from the four manuals and pedal console. There are 102 ranks, 72 stops and 5275 pipes.[1] It is 15 metres (49 ft) tall and weighs 25 metric tons (25 long tons; 28 short tons). Its construction was finished in December 1992.

Einar Jónsson donated the statue of Jesus to the church in 1948, which stands right next to the entrance to the nave. Jesus receives the Holy Spirit after being baptized in the Jordan.

The church is also used as an observation tower. An observer can take a lift up to the viewing deck and view Reykjavík and the surrounding mountains.[10]

The statue of explorer Leif Erikson (c.970 – c.1020) by Alexander Stirling Calder in front of the church predates its construction. It was a gift from the United States in honor of the 1930 Althing Millennial Festival, commemorating the 1000th anniversary of the convening of Iceland's parliament at Þingvellir in 930 AD.[5]

[edit]
  • View north from the top of Hallgrímskirkja
    View north from the top of Hallgrímskirkja
  • Chancel of Hallgrimskirkja
    Chancel of Hallgrimskirkja
  • Hallgrímskirkja at night
    Hallgrímskirkja at night
  • Nave of Hallgrimskirkja
    Nave of Hallgrimskirkja
  • The pipe organ
    The pipe organ
  • Main door
    Main door
  • Sanctuary
    Sanctuary
  • Jesus statue and the organ with organist Solbergsson (2018)
    Jesus statue and the organ with organist Solbergsson (2018)
  • Side view of Hallgrímskirkja at night
    Side view of Hallgrímskirkja at night
  • Statue of Leif Erikson
    Statue of Leif Erikson
Buildings in the city center of Reykjavik covered in snow, the airport on the left, the harbor in the middle and behind that the Atlantic Ocean, in the distance mountains covered with snow and a partly broken cloud cover.
Panoramic view from the top of the Hallgrímskirkja

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Organ Fireworks VII – Christopher Herrick at the organ of the Hallgrimskirkja (CD). Hyperion. 1997.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Benárd, Aurél (September 2018). "Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavík. A Late Example of Expressionist Church Architecture". YBL Journal of Built Environment. 6 (1): 86–102. doi:10.2478/jbe-2018-0006. S2CID 73608519.
  3. ^ Other Icelandic churches named in memory of the same Hallgrímur are the Hallgrímskirkja in Saurbær, where Hallgrímur was minister, and since 1957 the church of the same name in Kjósarhreppur.
  4. ^ "Um Hallgrímskirkju". May 26, 2015. Archived from the original on June 1, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Noyes, David (March–April 2009). "Iceland – Europe's coolest little hot spot". Going Places. AAA: 28.
  6. ^ "EXPRESSIONISM". architecture-history.org. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  7. ^ Árnadóttir, Vala. "A Brief History of Hallgrímskirkja, Iceland's Picturesque Church". The Culture Trip. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  8. ^ a b Steinsteypuöldin, retrieved 2017-01-18
  9. ^ a b c d Hick, Brian (August 2006). "Hallgrimskirkja, Reykjavik". The Organ. Vol. 85. London. pp. 28–31. ProQuest 1186364.
  10. ^ Sachs, Andrea; Botsford, Jabin (May 6, 2016). "Around the world in 20 days: Follow two reporters on a 21,623-mile journey". EBSCO (19): 1.
[edit]
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