An artist who has fought for the protection of Laugarnestangi celebrates that it is now within sight. City council approved last week the beginning of work with Minjastofnun (Cultural Heritage Agency of Iceland) on the protection.
“This is a great milestone,” says artist Þuríður Sigurðardóttir, who has fought for the protection of Laugarnestangi.
The city council approved at its meeting on Tuesday to begin work with Minjastofnun on the protection.
Þuríður was born and raised at Laugarnestangi. She says that there lies the only unspoilt beach on the north coast of Reykjavík.
There is now a fine walking path through the area. The beach, Norðurkotsvör or Laugarnesfjara, is the only unspoilt beach on the north coast of Reykjavík, so there is every reason to stop by and enjoy the nature.
It is absolutely wonderful to sit under the sea wall and escape all the city noise and simply be in solitude with the sea and the view. This is absolutely remarkable in the middle of the city, to have such an area.
Þuríður believes it is important to preserve Laugarnes as it is for the future.
Then it is necessary to put up all kinds of signs to educate people about the history, because it is truly remarkable, right from the settlement.
She says one does not need to look further back than to the Second World War when the occupying forces had personnel in Laugarneskampi. After the forces left, about 300 people lived there in a hundred barracks, says Þuríður.
A protection plan for Laugarnestangi has been in effect since 2016 to ensure that the antiquities there are not lost.
Þuríður says that the land reclamation near Köllunarklettur caught everyone by surprise. Little or no environmental assessment was done, with no public presentation.
Both Veitur (Reykjavík Energy) and Faxaflóahafnir have had in mind some buildings there. If, for example, four to five-storey blocks are built, as is permitted, then it will block the view to Viðey, which we consider absolutely terrible, because part of the experience in Laugarnes is to look out over Sundin and towards Viðey, Viðeyjarstofa which is the oldest stone house in Iceland… So these are remarkable buildings and a remarkable area that has always been intertwined, right from the settlement; Viðey and Laugarnes.
Source: Ruv.is
