Lækjartorg

Lækjartorg has been one of Reykjavík’s main squares, since the town/city began being built up and expanded after it received market rights in 1786. A few years earlier, in 1759, construction began on a penitentiary house witch was finished 1764, and the area in front of the house was preserved, but there was supposed to be a Danish military base built there. This area is now Lækjartorg, and the penitentiary is the Government Council, the office of the Prime Minister from the establishment of the Republic. Icelandic Times / Land & Saga went down to Lækjartorg in the rainy but warm weather today, but the square is set to change a lot in the coming years. But Borgaralind by Sp(r)int Studio and Karrens en Brands won the design competition for Lækjartorg and the surrounding area. Lækjartorg will therefore continue to be the center of attention in the city center for the foreseeable future.