Nordic House in the Faroe Islands

The house of the North ( Faroese: Norðurlandahúsið ) is the main cultural and congress center of the Faroe Islands. It was inaugurated in 1983 in the capital Tórshavn and serves to promote Scandinavian and Faroese culture. But artists from around the world perform here or exhibiting.

The house of the north is known for its unique architecture with the typical grass roof. Not least because of this impulse experienced the traditional grass roof since the 80s, a renaissance in contemporary architecture of the North Atlantic archipelago.

Auspices of the Nordic Council

The former Faroese representatives on the Nordic Council, Erlendur Patursson (1913-1986), is regarded as originator of the idea to the house of the North. 1977, a scandinavia further architectural competition was held, at which 158 architects participated. The contract got Ola Steen from Norway and Kollbrún Ragnarsdóttir from Iceland. The Nordic Council endorsed and supported with a grant of 2 /3 of the cost of construction ( a total of 70 million crowns Faroese ) the project, it's a kind of "message" of this Scandinavian organization.

On 8 May 1983, the sensation opened exciting construction. 92 % of operating costs are borne by the Nordic Council, the rest pay the Faroese government. It is headed by a interskandinavisch composite body.

Architecture

In the two- story home of the North is a construction of large expanses of glass and steel girders from Denmark. It has a grass roof down deep drawn from Iceland and fits so harmoniously in the green island world. The real grass comes from the Faroe Islands.

Interior surprised it with a floor made ​​of Norwegian granite. In the Faroes is otherwise only the basalt a domestic material. Visitors sit on Finnish chairs, and the interior walls are paneled with Swedish wood. Due to the continuous glass front and the higher-lying position gives a nice overview of Tórshavn, the sea and the island of Nólsoy.

It features a spacious lobby, a cafeteria, a special dance hall with parquet floor for the traditional Faroese chain dance ( and exhibitions, see photo ) and a large hall, which can accommodate over 400 people. In addition, there is another light -flooded, amphitheater -like space, which can be connected to the main hall.

See also: Faroese Art

One of the " seven Faroese Wunder"

To Ólavsøka 2007, the Faroese television Sjónvarp Føroya organized a national competition over the "seven Faroese Wunder" in which the audience could make any suggestions about particular buildings and other objects. A ranking of the eight winners (due to a tie, in one case) has not been announced, but the house of the north part of it. The others are the pews of Kirkjubøur, the Magnus Cathedral, the Christianskirkjan in Klaksvík Tinganes the Norðoyatunnilin, the first flag of the Faroe Islands in the Church of Fámjin and the seat of Reichsombudsschaft in the Faroe Islands (the last two with equality of votes ).