Photo Diary: Architecture of Isafjordur

One of my favorite this about Isafjordur, the scenic north town in the west fjords of Iceland, was the quaintness and Nordic beauty of the homes. I am no expert in architecture, but rural Icelandic homes have some unique qualities that are apparent to even an amateur observer.

First, thanks to some detail provided by a local, these homes are made from either wood or concrete, and insulated with steel - which is what you see rusting on the outside of some of the houses. Although wooden houses were more common in the past, concrete is the standard now. 

All Icelandic homes but be insulated to protect from the cold and wind, so the houses are very well reinforced.

The color of the houses is also another interesting choice. Color is always a response to the environment. And unlike the white stone houses in Greece, which contract so well with the blue of the sea, or the muted black or white homes of Japan, which class with the emerald green landscape, Iceland’s wildly colored homes are liked in response to the snowy cloudy brown and grey environment – a where color can shine in the deepest winter darkness.

It was great to take a small walk around town and observe all the finer details of this very unique architecture. The weather was pretty erratic and half these photos were taken during a snowstorm while the other half were taken only moments later in clear weather.