Nordic House

The Nordic House opened in 1968 as a shared cultural institution of the Nordic countries in Iceland, and it is the only building in the country by Alvar Aalto, who designed it inside and out down to the furniture and fittings. It is deliberately low, sitting on the wetland below the university with the roof rising to a cone clad in cobalt blue tiles brought from Finland - a colour chosen against the grey of the site. Inside are a library of Nordic material, an exhibition space, an auditorium and a restaurant. It runs a literary festival, concerts and children's programmes, and the surrounding marsh is a bird reserve.

What you actually see

• Aalto's only Icelandic building - designed to the furniture, opened 1968.
• A cobalt blue tiled roof - the tiles brought from Finland.
• A Nordic library and exhibitions - the working core of the house.
• A bird marsh around it - Vatnsmyri, beside the university.

When to go

Year round; the programme is busiest outside high summer. Two hours.

Honest expectations

The building is small and low key - it rewards attention to detail rather than impressing at a glance. Exhibition space is limited and between shows it can be quiet. The restaurant keeps its own hours. Parking is tight.

Nearby

The university and the National Museum are next door; the centre is a short walk.