Explore #320 December 29, 2009

Perlan ("the Pearl") is an innovative five-story architectural structure and a landmark building in Reykjavik, Iceland, situated on a hill within the city, from which you can view the whole city. The pearl itself, for which the building is named, is a large mirrored glass dome housing a rotating restaurant. The glass dome sits atop five large hot water tanks that have been used for decades to supply the city homes with water from a geothermal source. The space underneath the pearl dome, between the watertanks, is now used as an event venue with a cafe and a museum. Perlan constitutes a remarkable and creative design in that it integrated and expanded on several pre-existing and rather unappealing utilitarian structures and created a new and pleasing whole.