High rises

As an aside, it should generally be considered that any meeting that needs to be delayed by an hour is best rescheduled for another day. When the person is less busy and not just squeezing you in between a bunch of other things. But no, instead me and a lady from Reykjavik today tried to work around the schedule of the sound guy, and that ended up meaning that I drove into the city for no reason. 

It did however give me a chance to walk around Perlan. And then drive past Smaralind. 

From Perlan, as one soaks in the beautiful views from Reykjanes to Akranes, admiring the mountains and the clouds and the ocean, one cannot also help but notice how completely ridiculously out of place the 30 story black glass high rise is that is now, I guess, completed along Saebraut, Reykjavik. A few blocks down from the lovely white cement building where Gorbachev and Reagan met, across the street from some really nice public art, there looms this thing plucked right out of Wichita. I had to turn away for fear of loosing my good mood. 

But it haunted me, even after a successful gas-station drop off of some documents urgently needed by a contact in Reykjavik (yes, museum work is like spy work). So, then, turning my little grey beauty up Reykjanesbraut, there it was, the other huge glass high rise of Reykjavik, this one near Smaralind. The gigantic letters spelling out Deloitte on the top of the building suggest there may actually be an occupant, but diffuse light dampened the reflective surface, and I was able to clearly see into half the building, and it was entirely obvious there was NO ONE using any of those floors as an office. Not a stick of furniture to be found. I think perhaps someone somewhere is realizing it was a bad idea. 

Just as good I did not go through downtown, to see the convention center. The picture on the billboard looks really cool, to put a positive spin on it. 

Comments

Anonymous said…
well, at least there's work going on there and there will definitely be things going on, when it's finished - even though it won't be finished in December this year - (and pleeeeaze say Concert hall, as that's its main reason).

The large tower in Borgartún is worse. That one and Kópavogur rise up like monsters, don't remotely fit anything that's around.
May 26, 2009 at 8:19 AM
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