Guide to Höfði House in Reykjavíkurborg

The house was prefabricated in Norway and shipped to Iceland, where it was erected in 1909 to serve as the residence for the French consul, Jean-Paul Brillouin. At the time, it stood as the largest private estate in Reykjavík, built even before city planning permission was officially granted.

The City of Reykjavík acquired the house in 1958 and undertook a restoration of the property. Since the purchase, the venue has transitioned from a private residence and embassy space to a public facility designated for formal receptions and festive occasions.

Höfði gained international recognition as the location for the 1986 Reykjavík Summit between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. This meeting is historically considered a significant step toward ending the Cold War, and the building now displays flags from both nations to commemorate the event.

On September 25, 2009, exactly 100 years after its completion, the building suffered damage from a fire. Authorities confirmed that all irreplaceable artifacts within the house were successfully saved during the incident.

In 2015, a statue of the poet and former resident Einar Benediktsson, sculpted by Ásmundur Sveinsson, was relocated to a permanent spot on the grounds near the house, further linking the site to the poet's legacy.