AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.04.1997, Page 63

ENGLISH SUMMARY
PAGE 37 AN ARCHITECTS'
PARTY
Art historian Halldóra Amardóttir
writes about the Intemational
Federation of Architects’ conference in
Barcelona in July last year, attended by
10,000 architects from all over the
world. The conference's theme was the
city, and many of the participants
stressed the importance of human rela-
tions, at a time of high-speed electronic
communications. Katerina Riiedi puts
forward the idea of architects working
in a wider environment, as e.g. film
director/architect, planner/architect,
sociologist/architect, historian/archi-
tect, etc. A more complex society calls
for architects to adapt. The author sug-
gests that, since Iceland is so conve-
niently situated between Europe and
North America, foreign architects
should be encouraged to visit Iceland,
hold lectures, and stimulate debate on
architecture.
PAGE 42 SICK BUILDING SYN-
DROME - ELECTROMAGNETIC
FIELDS
The concept of sick building syndrome
was defined by the WHO in 1983. the
syndrome has generally been attributed
to four sets of factors: physical (e.g.
heat, damp), chemical (e.g. paint fumes,
tobacco smoke), biological (e.g.
microorganisms) and psychological
(e.g. stress at work). It has been sug-
gested that electromagnetic fields may
have an influence on wellbeing, espe-
cially in view of the greatly increased
use of electrical appliances.
PAGE 44 COMPETITIVE TENDER
FOR A PLAN FOR A NEW DIS-
TRICT OF HAFNARFJÖRÐUR
The town of Hafnarfjörður initially
advertised for those who wished to par-
ticipate in the competitive tender, in
retum for a fixed fee. Of 26 applicants,
five were chosen to produce proposals
for a new district in Asland and
Grísanes. The winning proposal was
from Uti og Inni architects. The plan is
for low-rise development, with service
centres including the church, around a
square. The proposal aims to fit in with
existing topography, i.e. the lava land-
scape which is highly typical of
Hafnarfjörður. The proposal is judged to
provide good shelter, and the road net-
work fits in well with the landscape,
while the footpath system is also well
designed.
PAGE 49 THOUGHTS ON GAL-
LERIES
Art historian Aðalsteinn Ingólfsson
writes about the important function of
galleries in the international art world,
as patrons of artists and for their role in
educating the public. He points out that
business can play a role in the art world,
in Iceland as abroad, both by buying
works of art, and by combining social
functions with art shows.
PAGE 50 INGÓLFSSTRÆTI 8
Artist Edda Jónsdóttir has recently
opened a new art gallery at Ingólfsstræti
8 in Reykjavík, abbreviated to "i8." The
gallery's exhibitions have been praised
by the critics, and foreign artists and
gallery directors have already shown an
interest in the gallery.
PAGE 52 TWO SUMMERHOUSES
Designs for two summerhouses by
Guðmundur Jónsson, Alice Stuart and
Gunvor Thorsen, one in Grímsnes in
Iceland, the other on the Norwegian
island of Hamaroy.
PAGE 54 PLANNING COMPE-
TION: GRAFARHOLT, REYKJA-
VÍK
An open competition was held for a plan
for this new district of Reykjavík, with
the aim of eliciting ideas for a district
where the inhabitants would feel com-
fortable, and would be able to spend
their free time well, close to unspoiled
nature. Participants were to produce
proposals for the entire district, with the
idea that the top prizewinners would be
allocated sections for the district for fur-
ther development of their ideas. A total
of fifteen proposals were received. The
first-prize-winning proposal is illustrat-
ed on p. 59, other prize-winning propos-
als on p. 60.
PAGE 70 PARLIAMENT: RENOVA-
TION OF KIRKJUSTRÆTI 8B
AND 10
Two houses adjacent to Parliament
House in Reykjavík, Kirkjustræti 8b
and 10, have been renovated for use by
Parliament. The aim was to restore the
houses, built in 1905 and 1897 respec-
tively, as far as possible to their original
state, although with minor alterations to
make them usable as offices.
PAGE 72 ICELANDIC EMBASSY
IN WASHINGTON
Impressions by architect Guðmundur
Jónsson.
PAGE 84 REYKJAVÍK - ENVI-
RONMENTAL CAPITAL OF THE
NORTH
Bjarni Reynarsson, Deputy Head of
Planning for the City of Reykjavík,
writes about the latest city plan, for the
period 1996-2016, now under consider-
ation. The new plan places greater
emphasis than before on environmental
factors, especially in the field of trans-
port; a balance is to be maintained
between motor vehicles, cyclists and
pedestrians. The plan visualises a clean
city, with sewage disposal meeting
international standards, recycling and
classification of waste, etc. The city's
public buildings will be of a high quali-
ty, and the cityscape will reflect the con-
cept of an environmentally-desirable
place, with open areas for outdoor activ-
ity, good facilities for families, and
social security for all. The population of
the city is expected to continue to rise by
1,000 to 1,500 annually, reaching 125 to
135 thousand in 2016. According to the
I plan, most available building land with-
in the present city limits will have been
developed by the end of the planning
period. ■
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