Arkitektúr og skipulag - 01.12.1989, Síða 90

ENGLISH SUMMARY
Page 9 Why An Architec-
tural College Now?
The question is asked by
Stefán Benediktsson, presi-
dent of the Association of
Icelandic Architects. He
argues that specifically Ice-
landic architecture must be
stimulated and strengthened
in this time of growing inter-
nationalism. Architects have
a vital social role to play,
rather than simply being
technical experts.
Page II History in Houses
A walk around Reykjavík,
like any other capital, gives
many hints of Iceland's archi-
tectural history. Although the
oldest surviving houses are
only 250 years old, they
belong to a far more ancient
tradition. And buildings of
stone and of wood have sur-
vived, showing architectural
developments over the past
two centuries. The hotch-
potch of different styles
which is sometimes criticised
gives a true reflection of
something uniquely Ice-
landic.
Page 14 Architecture and
the Environment
To mark the 50th anniversary
of the Association of Ice-
landic Architects, several
primary schools undertook a
project on architecture and
the environment. Seven
schools and 230 10-year-old
children participated. The
project aimed to encourage
them to consider e very aspect
of a certain environment
(generally the school's sur-
roundings), measure out,
sketch and make models, and
finally to suggest improve-
ments. The pupils at
Fáskrúðsfjörður school won
the first prize.
Page 16 "On a Grassy
Knoll"
Jón Kristinsson is an Ice-
landic arcfiitect who has run
his own office in Holland
with 16 colleagues for over
twenty years. He has special-
ised in energy-saving de-
signs. A man-made skating
rink he recently designed
required 75% less energy
than conventional designs.
Page 18
Stefán Benediktsson. presi-
dent of the Association of
Icelandic Architects, traces
the history of architecture in
Iceland, and the 50-year
history of the Association of
Icelandic Architects. Ice-
land’s first graduate architect,
Guðjón Samúelsson, quali-
fied in 1918. In 1940
architects numbered 10, in
196017 and 1980 137.Today
they number 230. Architects
played an active role in
modem urban development.
The Association of Icelandic
Architects feels strongly that
architectural training should
be introduced in Iceland, and
that the school could start
work in 1993.
Page 20 No Architects
Employed by Major Build-
ers
Aldís Norðfjörð summarises
the findings of a survey of
architects' status in Iceland.
In the past decade, the
number of architects has risen
by 75%. In the Nordic
countries, only Denmark has
more architects per thousand
population. Architects play a
growing role in the design of
residential buildings. The
author points out that many
public authorities which play
a major part in construction
projects employ no archi-
tects.
Page 23 Gunnlaugur
Halldórsson A retrospetive
of the work of architect
GunnlaugurHalldórsson was
held in the 50th anniversary
year of the Association of
Icelandic Architects. He
graduated from the Royal
Academy of Fine Arts in
Copenhagen in 1933, aged
only 24. A representative of
functionalism, he went on to
work for over 50 years in
architecture.
Page 26 Architectural Tui-
tion in Iceland
Architect Guðrún Jónsdóttir
writes about the committee
appointed in 1988 by the
Minister of Education to
make proposals on the intro-
duction of architectural train-
ing in Iceland. The commmit-
tee proposed that such studies
be introduced as soon as
possible, in the form of a
three-year university-level
course for 20 students,
followed by continued stud-
ies in collaboration with
universities abroad. Discus-
sion on the subject continues.
Page 28 Tenders for Total
Contracts
Architect Jón Ólafur Ólafsson
discusses the growing use of
invitations to tender for
entire building projects. He
argues that this kind of all-
inclusive tender, from initial
design to completed struc-
ture, has many disadvan-
tages. Specifications given to
prospective contractors are
often inadequate, unlimited
numbers of contractors pro-
duce designs which cost the
client nothing, and the panels
which choose a design often
lack professional expertise.
Rules on tenders should be
drawn up by the Association
of Icelandic Architects, the
Engineering Consultants' So-
ciety and the Federation of
Contractors.
Page 31 30 Years of
Pioneering Work
Byggingaþjónustan (The
Building Consultancy) was
founded 30 years ago by the
Association of Icelandic
Architects. Today it is an
independent non-profit insti-
tution which plays an
educative role, as well as
providing various consul-
tancy services on construc-
tion and maintenance of
buildings. It has also com-
piled an index of reliable
contractors, in an effort to
maintain high standards of
workmanship.
Page 32 The Reykjavík
City Theatre
Architect Hróbjartur
Hróbjartsson comments on
the newly-opened City The-
atre, designed by architects
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