Atlantica - 01.09.2002, Side 52

Smáralind is Iceland's largest shopping
mall, located near the heart of
Reykjavik's capital area. Smáralind’s
bright and attractive environment, cre-
ated by its striking architecture, high-
lights an unparalleled combination of
shopping and entertainment.
Smáralind opened in October 2001 and
during the first ten weeks hosted over
one and a half million visitors.
Icelanders are known for being highly
fashionable and quick to adopt new
trends. For the first time in Iceland,
international brands such as Zara,
Mango, Debenhams, T.G.I. Fridays and
Miss Selfridge became available to
local shoppers.
At Smáralind, around 70 stores and
businesses, both Icelandic and globally
known, offer a wide range of goods
and services. Located on the first floor
is Hagkaup, the largest store in Iceland,
offering a magnificent selection of
food, clothing, cosmetics and electrical
appliances.
ENTERTAINMENT
Vetrargardur (Winter Garden) is
Smáralind's prime entertainment facili-
ty, offering something for everyone.
Whether you want to satisfy your
appetite at one of the many restaurants
and cafés, or simply check on the latest
i-site SMÁRALIND SHOPPING MALL❍
50 A T L A N T I C A
happening or event, the Vetrargardur pro-
vides for endless entertaining possibili-
ties. Each month, several events are
staged such as concerts, art shows, fit-
ness competitions, trade shows, etc.
The Vetrargardur also proudly features
Iceland’s premier state-of-the-art cinema,
Smárabíó, seating over 1,000 people in
first class comfort. This has, no doubt,
been a welcome addition for Reykjavík’s
movie-hungry population. Icelanders
hold the World Record for visiting the cin-
ema with 5.8 visits per capita per year. In
January, Smárabíó enjoyed a third of the
market share and its ‘Luxury Screening
Room’ is obviously well appreciated,
being fully booked in advance of most
showings.
EASY ACCESS
The Smáralind mall is located centrally in
the capital area with easy access from all
approaches. Smáralind has the biggest
private car park in Iceland, with 3,000
parking spaces. Municipal bus routes 16,
17 and 114 serve Smáralind.
LONG OPENING HOURS
A high level of service coupled with long
opening hours – in unison throughout the
mall – make a trip to Smáralind conve-
nient and effective. It truly provides ‘one-
stop’ shopping for its visitors’ needs.
Everyone knows the story of the Little
Mermaid, but only a few know the story
of the Icelandic Mermaid. The Icelandic
Mermaid is a statue created by artist
Nína Sæmundsson and brought to
Iceland in 1959. Originally, it was
placed in the Pond where the City Hall
of Reykjavík stands today. However,
late on New Year’s Eve 1960, in one of
the few acts of terrorism known in
Icelandic history, an unknown party
blew up this statue. The Mermaid was
never recreated in Iceland; that is, not
until a representative of Smáralind got
wind of the fact that the original
Mermaid, from which the ill-fated
Mermaid was copied, was standing in
the garden of Sæmundsson’s long-time
friend, Polly James, in Los Angeles. As
a tribute to her friend, James agreed to
let The Mermaid return home. It was
transported to Iceland and unveiled in
Smáralind´s external Sumargardur
(Summer Garden) as part of the open-
ing ceremonies last autumn.
Nína Sæmundsson (1892-1965) was an
Icelandic sculptor who lived in Los
Angeles most of her life. She was a
well-known artist in the USA. Among
her works are Prometheus in Westlake
Garden in LA, and Spirit of
Achievement, the pride of the Waldorf-
Astoria Hotel in New York.
The Little
Icelandic
MermaidIceland's Largest Shopping Mall
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