Merging with nature: Eysturkommuna Town Hall by Henning Larsen

At first the Eysturkommuna Town Hall designed by Henning Larsen makes a reserved impression, taking its inspiration from both nature and traditional grass-roofed houses. The building also serves as a bridge over the river in Norðragøta, linking the village with the neighbouring community.

The town hall building is a "declaration of love" for Nordic landscapes, with the "blurred line between nature and building" being the central design theme, as the architect states. Located in the breath-taking Faroese landscape, the 750-square-metre, green-roofed town hall merges in with the surrounding landscape.  

The building's roof and terraces are open to general use in order to foster public life in the community. Closeness to nature can also be sensed inside the building, as seen in the council chamber, where a circular glass-covered opening in the floor permits views of the river flowing below, complete with the occasional fish. A sound and light installation by the artist Jens Ladekarl Thomsen is integrated into the timber cladding of the facade, enabling the building to "speak" with its surroundings.