Ágúst Pálsson (3 October 1893 – 25 November 1967) was an
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
ic
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
.
His notable works include
Neskirkja (built 1952–1957), which is often considered the first modern church in Iceland. His design caused controversy.
, one of Iceland's most influential political figures, used the design of the church as a key example as to why modern architecture had no place in Iceland, and why the more traditional and Icelandic nationalist style of
Guðjón Samúelsson
Guðjón Samúelsson (16 April 1887 – 25 April 1950) was a State Architect of Iceland, and the first Icelander to be educated in architecture. He has been described as one of Iceland's most influential architects. His notable designs include th ...
was superior.
The Neskirkja Planning Committee sought out the view of renowned Finnish architect
Eliel Saarinen
Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen (, ; August 20, 1873 – July 1, 1950) was a Finnish and American Architecture, architect known for his work with Art Nouveau buildings in the early years of the 20th century. He was also the father of famed architect Ee ...
to assess the architectural style of the building; Saarinen praised the design. In 1997, several architects and experts on architecture placed Neskirkja on their list of the ten most beautiful buildings in Iceland.
Pálsson designed
Gljúfrasteinn
Gljúfrasteinn () is a writer's home museum, which was the former home of Halldór Kiljan Laxness, a 1955 Nobel Prize for Literature winner. It is located in Mosfellsbær, east of Reykjavík, Iceland. The name of the house is derived from a large ...
, the home of
Halldór Kiljan Laxness
Halldór () or Halldor is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
*Halldór Ásgrímsson (born 1947), Icelandic politician, formerly Prime Minister of Iceland from 2004 to 2006
*Halldór Orri Björnsson (born 1987), Icelandic internati ...
who was awarded the
Nobel Prize in Literature
The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...
in 1955.
The building is rare for being in the
functionalist style while also being situated out in the nature.
Pálsson also designed two
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Ligh ...
s, both built in 1946:
''Íslenskir vitar''
Sjómannablaðið Víkingur, 1 May 1987, p. 191 Stokksnesviti just east of the town of Höfn
Höfn () or Höfn í Hornafirði (, ) is an Icelandic fishing town in the southeastern part of the country. It lies near Hornafjörður fjord.
The town, the second largest in the southeastern part of Iceland, offers scenic views of Vatnajökull ...
in south-east Iceland and Malarrifsviti south of the glacier
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
Snæfellsjökull
Snæfellsjökull (, ''snow-fell glacier'') is a 700,000-year-old glacier-capped stratovolcano in western Iceland. It is situated on the westernmost part of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. Sometimes it may be seen from the city of Reykjavík over Faxa ...
in the west of Iceland.
References
{{Authority control (arts)
Icelandic architects