Last week, the Reykjavík city council approved a declaration of intent between the city and the University of Iceland to allocate a plot on the University campus area for the Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson Institute on the Arctic. The building will be the Arctic Circle’s future home.
The plot was originally intended for the Academy of the Arts, but a committee organised by the Prime Minister came to the conclusion to allot the plot to the Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson institute. The Arts Academy will instead be moving to the Tollhúsið building in Tryggvagata in the Reykjavík city centre.
Mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson and Rector of the University of Iceland Jón Atli Benediktsson were to sign the declaration of intent in the nearby Gróska building today.
In May, the government passed Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir’s suggestion to allocate 10 million ISK to support the foundation of the Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson Institute on the Arctic, based on recommendations from a preparatory committee appointed in February. The Arctic Circle intended to conduct a requirements analysis for a new building and promotional material for an international design competition and financial backers. The Institute will focus on international cooperation on Arctic issues, action against climate change, sustainability and other related factors. The building is to be the future home of the Arctic Circle, and the goal is to reiterate Iceland’s position as the centre for international debate o the arctic. Funding for the building will come from the Arctic Circle and the board of the new Institute.
Read More: Facing North – On the 2021 Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík (for subscribers)
