Iceland makes heritage agency opinions optional for 1924-40 homes

Property owners no longer have to seek an opinion from Iceland’s Cultural Heritage Agency before making changes to homes built between 1924 and 1940, mbl.is reports. The change took effect in early November and is intended to reduce administrative requirements and make heritage protection more targeted, agency director Rúnar Leifsson said.

The change does not mean older buildings have lost protection. Homes built in 1923 or earlier remain protected by age under the law, and younger buildings with cultural or artistic value can still be individually protected.

Owners may still ask the agency for professional advice, although its opinion is not binding. Municipal building officials may also seek its input. If a younger building has significant heritage value, the agency can propose that the minister formally protect it, a process that involves consultation and paperwork.

Many homes built between 1924 and 1940 are in neighbourhoods covered by conservation rules in municipal plans. In Reykjavík, this includes much of the city north of Hringbraut. The old West Town of Hafnarfjörður was designated a protected built environment earlier this year; its 230 houses and building sections form a cohesive streetscape, the article says.

According to figures from the Housing and Construction Authority, 8,380 buildings were built in Iceland between 1924 and 1940. The period saw population and economic growth, with the expansion of motorised fishing boats contributing to the growth of towns and the construction of homes in places including Akranes, Patreksfjörður, Ísafjörður, Akureyri, Neskaupstaður, Vestmannaeyjar, Grindavík and Keflavík.

Iceland previously protected buildings automatically once they reached 100 years of age. That rule was removed several years ago, and age-based protection now applies to buildings constructed in 1923 or earlier. Changes to those protected buildings still require permission from the Cultural Heritage Agency, which also formally protects a number of younger buildings and gardens each year.