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Sensational view from the top floor of Hallgrímskirkja, a Lutheran church in downtown Reykjavik.

At first glance, Reykjavik reminded me of the small town in the US I went to for college. Both have compact city layouts, with most of the shops and restaurants coalescing around a Main Street. The architecture is similar in a way, with buildings being cozy and quaint rather than expansive and modern. And although Reykjavik is the capital of a country, its population is only about 4 times that of the Ohio town, hovering around 120,000 people. The paces of life in both places are slow and steady.

The biggest difference between them, however, is that Reykjavik is infinitely more awe-inspiring. It’s in fact so stunning that I could see myself residing there at some point in my life, despite it being a tad too isolated and not multicultural enough.

Really, I have come to a point in my life (okay, that feels like the most American thing in a very Kardashian, reality-show kind of way that has ever come out of my mouth, haha) where I’d pick a city in which spectacular seashore and snow-covered mountain ranges views like this are within walking distance over one teeming with shops and clubs.

As mentioned in my previous posts, staying in Reykjavik during my time in Iceland was absolutely wonderful because I was able to squeeze in many hours between my day trips to explore the city. I personally am not crazy about museums and indoor attractions, so I spent most of my waking hours outside, wandering around aimlessly and pausing whenever something interested me. A huge shout-out to weather God for giving Reykjavik great weather (though a little too windy at times for my Asian body) during my entire stay!

What I have discovered from my exploratory wanders is that Reykjavik itself is such a lovely blend of nature and man-made beauty. I was especially surprised and impressed with its vibrant and charming architecture. I thought it would have a strong Scandinavian minimalist feel, since Iceland is one of the Nordic countries. The Scandinavian influence is definitely there, but upon further exploration I also felt the flair and vividness that are more characteristic of Mediterranean countries. The best of both worlds, really!

Now, let me show you how full of character Reykjavik is, architecturally 🙂

Hallgrímskirkja (church of Hallgrímur), named after Iceland’s most revered poet, Hallgrimur Petursson, is probably Reykjavik’s most famous landmark. The mastermind behind it was architect Guðjón Samúelsson (1887-1950), who supposedly modeled it after the lava flows of Iceland. Samúelsson didn’t live to see his design come to life, though, as the church was finished in 1986, 30 years after the building work started. I don’t know about you, but I have never seen a church looking this unorthodox and edgy and am not sure if there is something like this anywhere else. Such a breath of fresh air!

Its unadorned interior is really refreshing as well, compared to the usual opulence of churches throughout Europe.

After you’re done with the chapel, you MUST go up to the viewing deck because the views there are world-class. Too breath-taking!!!

If panoramic views are your kind of jam, I also suggest that you pay Perlan, a domed building on top of the city’s hot water storage tanks, a visit. I went at the suggestion of a local teenager, who said it was such a “cool” building.

Well, I found the building itself kind of cool, but not extraordinary. However, the views from the fourth floor are nothing short of EXCEPTIONAL.

…especially if you visit during golden hours. Pinch-me beautiful, isn’t it?

Unlike Hallgrímskirkja, Perlan doesn’t cost to go in. You will part way with your money only if you decide to eat at the upscale restaurant inside.

The biggest selling point of Perlan observation deck is that it gives you a pretty splendid view of Hallgrímskirkja.

After Iceland, I flew to New York City and spent a week sorting out my bank accounts and reconnecting with my college friend. On the last day of my visit, I went up to Top of the Rock to look at the Manhattan skyline, which has changed a lot since my first visit in 2007. The views were sublime, but it was like a circus up there. The experience thus became less enjoyable. The Reykjavik skyline is different, if not inferior, from that of New York, but for me personally the quality of the experience was definitely more fulfilling. I need space and solitude to fully register a scene.

Another futuristic work of architecture in Reykjavik that I was really smitten with is Harpa (concert hall), which is only about 15-20 minutes walk from Hallgrímskirkja. I don’t have any shot of Harpa’s exterior because it’s too expansive for my camera, but if you want to see its facade, a google click will yield plenty of images. Before we go inside, here is a brief summary of this structure:

“A striking new addition to the Icelandic and European cultural scene is Harpa, the Reykjavík Concert Hall and Conference Centre and recipient of the prestigious Mies Van der Rohe award for architecture.

Harpa is one of Reykjavik‘s greatest and distinguished landmarks. It is a cultural and social centre in the heart of the city and features stunning views of the surrounding mountains and the North Atlantic Ocean. Harpa is an enchanting destination for intrigued travellers and its grand-scale award-winning architecture has attracted 4 million guests since its opening, May 4, 2011.

Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre offers the best facilities for concerts and conferences in Northern Europe. Harpa has received numerous awards and prizes. Harpa was chosen one of the best concert halls of the new millennium by the prestigious music magazine Gramophone magazine and was chosen the best performance venue in 2011 by Travel & Leisure magazine. Autumn 2012 Harpa received the prestigious award as the Best MICE Centre in Northern Europe.”

I spent the better part of one morning inside Harpa, snapping photos from every angle. (Visit early in the morning and you will most likely have it all to yourself.) And I’m here to inform you that it’s such a dazzling work of art, the type that makes you squeal with delight and then confusion because you don’t know how they managed to build it from scratch and then inferiority because you know deep down that your mark on this earth will never be as remarkable.

Harpa really hit my sweet spot because I’m a total sucker for colors, stained glasses and geometric patterns.

I’m especially slow on the uptake when it comes to 3-dimensional stuff, but I still extremely appreciate this.

Hello, that is ME lying on the bench to make this happen 😀

One of the multi-colored glass birds hanging from the ceiling. I’m sorry that this photo does its beauty no justice.

Onto the quaint, charming side of town:

Can it get more lovely than this?

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