The newest lighthouse in Iceland is located right in Reykjavík near the town center.
The new lighthouse is located on a new landfill and viewing platform on Sæbraut, right by Höfði house. The architecture firm Yrki Arkitektar based its iconic yellow design on that of the channel lighthouses that were used in Reykjavík’s old harbour from 1913-1917.
The new lighthouse takes the place of an older one that was located in the tower of the former naval school. The naval school lighthouse had to be decommissioned when high-rise buildings on Höfðatún began to overshadow it. The cost of the lighthouse’s construction far exceeded expectations. The total cost had initially been estimated at ISK 100 million ($803,000/€707,000), but creating the landfill and platform cost considerably more in the end: ISK 150 million ($1.2 million/€1.05 million).
In addition to being an important safety device, the new lighthouse is also expected to become a popular tourist attraction, with a viewing platform that looks out over Faxaflói Bay and Mt. Esja.
The lighthouse is tiny compared to most others and has gained the nickname “halfwit” since the Icelandic word for a lighthouse is ‘viti’.