Hallgrímskirkja

Reykjavík has an interesting story, from origination, development, cultural influences, language, religion, and architecture.  The pictures above are of Hallgrímskirkja, or the Church of Iceland.  The structure pays homage to the land and the people.  The statue of Leif Erikkson was a gift from the U.S. to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of Iceland's parliament.  The architect Guðjón Samúelsson designed the church partly in the shape of basalt lava fields that cover the landscape of the island.  "The distinctive exterior, with its prominent steeple, is often described in terms both primordial and futuristic -- as if the church were some kind of volcano or glacier transformed into a rocket ship.(Here)"