Einar Sveinsson (16 November 1906 – 12 March 1973) was an Icelandic architect. He was the City Architect of

Reykjavík Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...

between 1934 and 1973, and widely considered to have played a key role in shaping the appearance of Reykjavík in the mid-20th century. Einar was the first Icelander to study architecture in Germany, doing so at the Technische Universität Darmstadt between 1927 and 1932. He completed his degree in 1932. Einar was influenced by the

Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the , was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined Decorative arts, crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., ...

style and introduced

functionalist architecture In architecture, functionalism is the principle that buildings should be designed based solely on their purpose and function. An international functionalist architecture movement emerged in the wake of World War I, as part of the wave of Modernis ...

to Iceland. Some of his notable works include Laugarnesskóli, Melaskóli, Langholtsskóli, Heilsuverndarstöð Reykjavíkur, Borgarspítalinn, Vogaskóli,

Laugardalslaug Laugardalslaug (, "pool of Laugardalur") is a public thermal baths and swimming pool complex located in the Laugardalur district of Iceland's capital Reykjavík. With an indoor Olympic-size swimming pool, a 50-metre-long outdoor swimming pool, a ...

, and the bus terminal at Snorrabraut 56, which he co-designed with

Ágúst Pálsson Ágúst Pálsson (3 October 1893 – 25 November 1967) was an Icelandic architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with t ...

. Melaskóli was considered so exquisite in its early years that foreign dignitaries were often brought to the building for meetings. He is widely considered to excel at crafting interiors. At the time, he was criticized for the cost of many of his buildings. His buildings have, however, lasted long without renovation and thus proved quite cost-effective in the long-term.

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