JesEinarÞorsteinsson

Architect

Jes Einar Þorsteinsson (1934-2024)  studied fine art at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and architecture at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris between 1954 and 1967. After returning to Iceland, he established an architectural practice and designed numerous buildings, primarily in the fields of sports and healthcare. Among his best known buildings are Skeiðalaug swimming pool in Brautarholt on the south coast of Iceland and Seltjarnarnes Health Centre and Music School.

Brutalist influences are evident in Jes Einar’s work. His use of raw concrete can be traced to his years studying in France and his interest in Le Corbusier, whom he named among his favourite architects in a 2018 interview, alongside Tadao Ando and Steven Holl.

Jes Einar’s distinctive approach is particularly clear in the way he shaped interior space. Unlike many of his contemporaries working in the modernist tradition, where open plans and exposed structural elements were common, Jes Einar emphasized the shaping of the space itself, allowing the structural framework to follow. This approach resulted in buildings with sculptural forms and openings in unexpected places.

The exhibition focuses on seven built projects. Together they highlight the defining characteristics and architectural approach of Jes Einar´s work.

Curators: Haukur Hafliði Nínuson og Katrín Heiðar

Photography: Marinó Thorlacius