FITTINGLY....:

Dotted throughout Iceland's rocky, otherworldly terrain are structures that seem to have been formed from the earth by a numinous hand. These geometric, often asymmetrical buildings look like the dwellings of the 'hidden folk' of Icelandic mythology, perhaps the last refuges of the ice giants Odin was unable to exterminate. But in fact, they are simply Icelandic interpretations of communal staples found in most cities and towns throughout the world: churches.

These buildings are examples of Iceland's unique take on modernist architecture. While modernist churches are certainly not unique to Iceland, its approach to the movement is singular in that it is deeply informed by its cultural history and landscape.

Icelandic Modernism was born of a 20th-Century push to create a distinctive architectural style after centuries of Norwegian -- followed by Danish -- rule. The brightly coloured timber houses that line the streets of Icelandic towns were often wholly imported from Norway, and 19th-Century stone houses were mostly designed by the Danish government. It was not until cement --  a material that could endure the harsh climate and that did not have to be imported --  was introduced, that a uniquely Icelandic style could be created.

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