Atlantica - 01.06.2011, Page 29

A t L A n t i c A 27
North-Sweden pine and assembled. Bestowing
each piece with charm and a unique character,
the texture of the wood was deliberately made
uneven, containing imprints of the tools it was
handled with. Then, in December 2010, the
house was dismantled, the pieces labeled and
moved to Austurstraeti, where it was reassem-
bled. “We had modeled it around the fireplace,
the only remaining original part. We were very
relieved when we realized that everything fit.”
With his previous projects including the
rebuilding of Erik the Red’s homestead at
Haukadalur and the 14th-century Audunarstofa
at Hólar, Bjarnason has always been interested
in the carpentry and architecture of the past and
in fine craftsmanship. “If you enjoy working
with your hands you want to make beauti-
ful things. Norway’s medieval churches and
homes dating from the 13th century helped
spark my interest. Now it gives me pleasure to
pass the technique on to a new generation of
carpenters who are very interested in it. I think
the decision to rebuild the house in its original
form was sparked by nostalgia. There’s a gen-
eral and growing awareness of the importance
of preserving Reykjavík’s history and of having
a beautiful city center. During the construc-
tion, people often stopped to tell us how much
they appreciated what we were doing.”
RestoRing gloRy a