Anyone who has walked the streets of Hverfisgata or Iceland will have noticed the different colors of the houses. The house has that color, be it bright green, blue or purple. We appreciate rainbows in architecture, but wanted to know if there is a scientific reason behind these splashes of color.Sociology, Anthropology and Folklore at the University of Iceland A professor of science, he turned to Sigurjón B Hafsteinsson for answers.
“I like to answer questions about color within a sociocultural framework,” says Sigurjón. “Icelandic architecture is based on the anarchist tradition that he flourished here for 1100 years.”
Icelandic homes looked a lot different than they do now, emphasizing individuality.
Sigurd John B. Huffsteinson
“From pioneer times to the 20th century, Icelanders built their homes out of turf, wood and stone. It was built on the principles and practices of ,” says Sigurdjon. “As a result, each lawn house was unique and the house was not subject to regulation.”
“At the turn of the 20th century, laws and regulations on construction and planning emerged, which meant that Icelanders gradually lost their power to build as they pleased,” explains Sigurjón. . “Today, building a house in Iceland requires a subservient position to bureaucratic authorities like state and local authorities.”
Despite the implementation of rules and regulations that narrowed individual building freedom, Icelanders still found ways to make their homes unique and personal.
“But Iceland’s anarchist architectural tradition has not completely departed from Icelandic architectural practices,” Sigurdjon says. “House coloring is one of the vestiges of that anarchist culture.”
“That said, there are other factors proposed by scholars and others, such as psychological reactions to weather conditions, foreign traditions, and class distinctions, but anarchist theory is the most interesting. [to me]! ”
There may not be a strong consensus in the scientific community as to why Icelandic homes are so colorful, but everyone at Reykjavik Grapevine agrees on one thing.
