Tjarnarskóli Tower

Tjarnarskóli is one of the most distinctive buildings in Reykjavík.

While first-time visitors to the city are often impressed by this distinctive red-roofed yellow-sided landmark, they are usually mystified as to its function as there is no English signage indicating is provenance.

Built in 1906, Lækjargata 14b is a wooden building east of Iðnó by the Pond in Reykjavík. I’ve often wondered about what goes on inside its corrugated walls. Notable for its Gothic-style tower, this “little school with a big heart” is a private junior high school located in was once The Agricultural House.  The Icelandic Agricultural Society built the building in 1906, and its offices were at the south end of the house for decades. Although the building is more than a century old, the school it contains was founded in 1985. The school’s emphasis is on human development and individualized learning, functioning as a private, tuition-based alternative to public school education. It attracts “… students seeking specific learning approaches.” The number of students is about 50.

The purpose of the tower remains unknown to me, Iceland’s Bell, perhaps?.