Jákup Pauli Gregoriussen

Jákup Pauli Gregoriussen (24 April 1932 – 19 April 2021) was the leading architect of the Faroe Islands. He was also a graphic artist and author of publications about the Faroese church.

Life and career One of Gregoriussen's Faroese stamps (1992): The old wooden church in Gøta was built in 1833; at its 100th anniversary it was regarded as the oldest of its kind in the country. But the inhabitants of Hvalvík knew better, because such a building had already been built there in 1829. This and other stories are told in his book Gomlu trækirkjurnar (1995). Jákup Pauli was born in 1932 to the fashion designer Liffa Gregoriussen (née Arge) and the sailor Magnus Gregoriussen. He was educated at the architectural school of the Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen.

Among his best-known buildings are the Listasavn Føroya (1970) and its extension to become the National Art Museum in 1993. As a graphic artist, he designed stamps for the Postverk Føroya and illustrated books. His main themes are views of towns and villages, not only in the Faroes but also from his travels, including, amongst others, Russia, Poland, Rome, and Egypt.

In 1998, he was awarded the Faroese Literature Prize (M. A. Jacobsens Heiðursløn) for his four volume work about the Faroese churches (1995–1999). It is his bibliophilic masterpiece, luxuriously illustrated and informative about the Faroese churches and the history of the Faroe Islands from a regional point of view. Gregoriussen is an important advisor on the restoration of Faroese churches.

Death Gregoriussen died on 19 April 2021, at the age of 88.

Buildings 1979: Faroese National Library Broadcasting building in Útvarp Føroya Pharmacy in Klaksvík New savings bank in Tórshavn 1995: Listasavn Føroya

Stamps The stamps he drew for the Postverk Føroya are representative of Gregoriussen's graphical artwork. Old farmhouses, February 9, 1987, engraved by Czesław Słania (series of 4 stamps) Old houses in Norðragøta, October 5, 1992 (series of 4 stamps) Suðuroy, January 26, 2004 (miniature sheet of 10 stamps) Christmas stamps, September 20, 2004; they depict the largest churches of the Suðuroy island, in Vágur and Tvøroyri.

Books For the books where Gregoriussen was not the author, but only contributed the illustrations, the name of the author is given.

Ferðatekningar. Tórshavn: Egið forlag, 1986 (50 p., travel drawings, self-published) Tórshavn, vár miðstøð og borg. Gøta: Aldan, 1989 (110 p., drawings of Tórshavn) Jógvan Arge: Havnarmenn í Gundadali: Havnar Bóltfelag 1904–1954. Tórshavn: Havnar Bóltfelag, 1994. (256 p., festschrift "90 Years HB Tórshavn") Kirkjurnar í Føroyum. In Faroese, in four volumes. The author has opulently illustrated these books (award-winning, definitive work). Gomlu trækirkjurnar. Velbastað: Forlagið í Støplum, 1995 (227 p., about the old wooden churches) Information Eldru hválvkirkjurnar. Velbastað: Forlagið í Støplum, 1997 (308 p., about the older vaulted churches; English summary: The Old Vaulted Churches, p. 306–308) Information Yngru hválvkirkjurnar. Velbastað: Forlagið í Støplum, 1998. (316 p., about the newer vaulted churches; English summary: The New Vaulted Churches, p. 314–316) Information Nýggjaru kirkjurnar. Velbastað: Forlagið í Støplum, 1999 (326 p., about the newer churches; English summary: Modern Churches in Faroe, p. 324–326) Information Tórshavn vár miðstøð og borg II: tekningar úr Havn. Velbastað: Forlagið í Støplum, 2000. (104 p., drawings from Tórshavn, including 85 coloured drawings, 2nd volume. Summary in Danish and English) Um heimsins borgir. Velbastað: Forlagið í Støplum, 2002. (112 p., "Über die Prachtbauten der Welt") (In German)

Literature Gunnar Hoydal, Palle Dyreborg, Curt von Jessen, Karen Zahle, Kim Dirckinck-Holmfeld: Færøsk arkitektur = Architecture on the Faroe Islands. Copenhagen: Arkitektens Forlag, 1996. (166 p., Danish and English)