Scan Magazine | Culture | The Nordic House Summer Sunday picnic concert.
The Nordic House is close to both nature and knowledge, with the university campus on its doorstep.
New Nordic Cuisine at Aalto Bistro.
Curating countries The Nordic House in Reykjavík, Iceland, is a building with character. With a deepblue dome atop an understated, milky foundation that blends comfortably with its surroundings, it is a window to the diverse Nordic region well worth looking through.
parents and children to learn about Nordic customs, revisit their roots, or just play – as children do.
By Edda Kentish | Photos: The Nordic House
At the end of the day, The Nordic House – a tapestry woven from the countries it so diligently represents – is perhaps the embodiment of the quintessential Nordic condition: learn and adapt – and enjoy.
The building, designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, has been carefully thought out, and the same goes for the furniture. Designed mostly by Aalto, it is a testament to the forward-thinking sustainability principles already implemented almost 50 years ago, when the house opened. “People come here from all over just to see the building, the furniture, and the view,” says director Mikkel Harder from Denmark. “It is also one of the most welcoming places I can think of.” The Nordic House functions as a gallery, library, and social club, all at the same time. The library collects works in every Nordic language – apart from Icelandic. The Aalto Bistro serves New Nordic Cuisine and in summer even sources ingredients – and decorations – from an adjacent greenhouse. If you ever want just to 114 | Issue 97 | February 2017
linger over your coffee with the view for company, or draw inspiration from the selection of curious Nordic publications, this is where you will find your haven. Every exhibition is carefully selected, showcasing artists who interpret the Nordic perspective. “A successful event sparks a new thought or draws people who are touched by what they see,” says communications director Kristbjörg Kona Kristjánsdóttir. To meet that goal, the Nordic House is a key player on Reykjavík’s festival calendar and does live-streaming of events, allowing an even larger public to attend across borders. Families have a patron in the Nordic House, too. With activities all throughout the year, the venue is a platform for both
About The Nordic House - Opened in 1968. - Open every day of the week. - Guided tours all summer. - Concerts every Wednesday, and picnic concerts on summer Sundays. - Close to the city centre – and a bird sanctuary. - Emphasises gender equality, children and young people, the New Nordic, and the environment.
For more information, as well as a full event calendar in English and Scandinavian languages, please visit: www.nordichouse.is