 Reykjavík Art Museum is a leading museum in Iceland, housed in three distinctive locations in central Reykjavík—Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir and Ásmundarsafn. We are also responsible for public art in the city.   The Museum is a dynamic and progressive platform where the public can experience a broad spectrum of visual arts of the past and the present. We exhibit leading Icelandic and international artists, historical research projects, as well as emerging local talents. Every year around fifteen exhibitions of different sizes are opened in the three locations.  Ragnar Kjartansson, Guð, hvað mér líður illa, 2017. We are dedicated to engaging diverse audiences through public programming and access to information through various mediums within the museum as well as beyond its walls. Every year we offer around 200 public events, e.g. gallery talks with artists and curators as well as the museum´s specialists. The museum is an important platform for the discourse on art and its message and function in society for artist and scholars as well as for the general audience and more than 10,000 students of all ages and generations. Our outreach program includes workshops, discussions, and guided tours in a variety of languages as well as specialized tours for people with disabilities and people facing social challenges.  

One of our goals is to be an innovative partner in cultural events in the city and to collaborate with numerous festivals, including Iceland Airwaves music festival, Reykjavík Museum Night, Reykjavík Arts Festival, DesignMarch and Reykjavík Cultural Night.
 The collection comprises more than 17,000 items in different mediums, mostly by Icelandic artists from the 20th and 21st century. Included are unique collections of artworks and archival materials by three prestigious Icelandic artists; Erró, Jóhannes S. Kjarval and Ásmundur Sveinsson. Exhibitions and research into their work are part of the Museum’s permanent program in the three different locations. May to September 10:00 – 17:00
October to April 13:00 – 17:00

About the museum

 Originally built as an office and warehouse for the Port of Reykjavík, Hafnarhús was built in several stages on a large landfill that was created in 1913-17. In its day, Hafnarhús was one of the largest buildings in Iceland and great care was taken in it construction. Its design bears the hallmarks of the international modernist style that developed in the interwar period in Central Europe, notably in the well-known German Bauhaus School. In 1998 an architectural competition was held for designs to renovate the building for the Reykjavik Art Museum, which had a growing need for space, not least to be able to house Erró’s magnanimous 1989 art bequest, and the museum was formally opened in April 2000, when Reykjavík was one of nine cities designated as European Capitals of Culture.

In their award-winning proposal, Margrét Harðardóttir and Steve Christer of the Studio Granda architectural firm used the history of the location as their starting point. To the south, up from the wooden wharf that lay where Hafnarhús now stands, the Wharf Building (Bryggjuhúsið) on Vesturgata functioned as Reykjavík's formal city gate, but for a long time  an open walkway led straight through the 1862 Wharf Building, as free public access to the wharf had been mandated by the building permit. The Wharf Building has been altered over the years and in 1927 the walkway was closed, but remnants of the ancient stonework at the end of the wharf are still visible on the northern side of the building. The locale’s importance to Reykjavík is reflected in the fact that the city’s street-numbering radiate from this spot.

The memory of the old wharf was revived in the renovation of Hafnarhús by means of an axis that cuts diagonally through the old building, reopening the connection to the harbour and the sea. In a new way, the main entrance and central artery of the museum therefore point to the vanished city gate and the city’s old lifeline to the greater world.
 The old harbour warehouse, known as Hafnarhús, exhibits progressive and experimental art by recognised local and international contemporary artists as well as emerging talents.
Hafnarhús is also home to the works of Erró which are permanently on show.
 Hafnarhús is located by the old harbour in the oldest part of Reykjavík, where the earliest wharf and old moorings lay. The building was designed by one of the pioneers of Icelandic architecture, architect Sigurður Guðmundsson, in collaboration with harbour master Þórarinn Kristjánsson in 1933-39, and expanded in 1957-58. It was subsequently renovated by the Studio Granda architectural firm in 1998-2000 to house the activities of the Reykjavik Art Museum. Hafnarhús houses works from the collection of the artist Erró, from his generous bequest of artworks and books to the city of Reykjavík, and also hosts a variety of contemporary art exhibitions. The original function of Hafnarhús as an industrial space is reflected in its outward aspect, in that the building is relatively closed to the outside. In accordance with the international modernist style, the building embraces the streamlined formal language of cruise ships and airplanes, abstaining from ornamentation and emphasising the building’s function and the interplay of horizontal and vertical lines, as can be seen in the pronounced lines around the windows, highlighting their external arrangement in a horizontal border and, on the north wall, in vertical bay windows. Large truck bays on the east and west sides, testifying to past vehicular traffic right through the building, were let stand in renovations along with other original doors at street level, providing an unusual viewing opportunity directly from the street into one of the museum’s largest exhibition halls. The current use of the building is underscored by painted panels in white or grey, and the art museum’s main entrance is cut into the south face, where a concrete awning, carefully angled over glass doors, arrests the eye. From the entrance, the line of vision runs directly along the corridor to the harbour beyond.

A concourse floored with hardwood boards leads through the building from the lobby, creating a rather narrow space that opens upward toward the next level. The walls and original weight-bearing columns are clad in rough-rolled steel, making a striking impression, reminiscent of rough-and-tumble modern shipyards. Flights of stairs leading upward do not touch the wooden concourse but rather hang from the concrete floor of the next level, encased in walls that are polished smooth, painted white, and slightly, almost imperceptibly curved. The complexity of the visual impression is deepened by the possibility of opening the steel walls along the walkway, onto the inner courtyard of the building. The space can be partially or completely transformed and its horizontal or vertical lines emphasised at will to, for example, open it to the sky from the court yard or, in the other direction, onto a multipurpose hall. Studio Granda’s play with old and new, rough and delicate, direct and indirect light results in a highly unusual atmosphere in the six exhibition halls on either side of the inner courtyard, each of which juxtaposes the building’s history and contemporary art in its own way, with white walls or raw concrete, or the square or octagonal support columns of the structure’s underlying grid. The museum's cafe is located at the end of the pier axis on the second floor with a view of the entrance to Reykjavík Harbour, which offers ever-changing live images of the ships, sea and mountains on the horizon. Erró in the courtyard Awards
Icelandic Environmental Services Association Award (2001). Nominated for the Blueprint Architecture Awards ‘Best Public Building Refurbishment’ (2001). European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award (2001). Recognition for outstanding design for accessibility, Sjálfsbjörg, the National Confederation of Physically Disabled People (2000).

Architects
Master Builder Sigurður Guðmundsson (1885-1958) was a seminal figure in Icelandic architecture. Following in the footsteps of architect Guðjón Samúelsson, Sigurður studied at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen from 1915 to 1925. Although he never completed his degree, he was nonetheless one of the most influential spokesmen in Iceland for new currents in architecture, ranging from Nordic Classicism to Functionalism and Modernism, with an emphasis on simple and artistic form. Sigurður founded the first privately-run architectural firm in Iceland, in which many of Iceland’s most prominent architects got their starts.

Majors works: Primary school Barnaskóli Austurbæjar (1924-30). Grund nursing home (1932-34). Garður, university housing on Hringbraut (1932-34). Hafnarhús at Tryggvagata 17, now part of the Reykjavik Art Museum (1933-39 and 1957-58). Studio for sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson, now Ásmundarsalur at Freyjugata 41 (1933-35). Station house, the Ljósafoss hydroelectric plant (1935-37). Merchant Marine Academy of Reykjavík (1942-45). National Museum of Iceland (1945-52). Private residences at Ásvallagata 14 (1928), Laufásvegur 70 (1927) and 75 (1929), Freyjugata 41 (1933), Garðastræti 41 (1929), Smáragata 16 (1931), Sóleyargata 11 (1931) and 29 (1932), and Freyjugata 46 (1931).

Studio Granda is one of the best-known architectural firms in Iceland. It was founded in 1987 by architects Margrét Harðardóttir (1960-) and Steve Christer (1959-), both graduates from the London Architectural Association School of Architecture. Studio Granda has attracted attention in the international arena for bold and discerning work that conveys strong ties to Icelandic culture and landscape while at the same time incorporating themes from the history of international architecture from Greek antiquity to Nordic modernism. The firm’s accolades include the Icelandic Visual Arts Award, the Nordic Award for Sheet Metal in Architecture, nominations for the Mies van der Rohe Award and the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, and listing of their work in the Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture. Studio Granda was nominated for the esteemed Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2002. 

Majors works: Reykjavík City Hall (1987-92). Supreme Court of Iceland building (1993-96). Höfðabakki Bridge (1994). Reykjavík Art Museum, Hafnarhús, renovation (1998-2000). Private residence at Skrúðás (2000-04). Bifröst School of Business, including the main building, campus layout, and research centre etc. (2001-07).Primary school extensions, Laugalækjarskóli (2001). Vogaskóli (2005-07). Hof country residence at Höfðaströnd (2003-07).

Text by Guja Dögg Hauksdóttir, former head of Architecture Department, Reykjavik Art Museum (2009). Photo: Dennis Gilbert, 2000 Photo: Dennis Gilbert, 2000

History of Hafnarhús

 The fund is a non-profit organisation under the custody of the Reykjavík City Council. The fund is supervised by the City of Reykjavík and the Erró Collection, and its board is made up of the directors of the Reykjavík Art Museum, the Icelandic National Gallery and the Akureyri Art Museum.
 Every year an award is issued by Guðmunda Kristinsdóttir’s Arts Fund, a fund estalished by  the artist Erró in memory of his late aunt.  The goal of the fund is to support female artists and promote them in their artistic creation.  Recipients of the award since its inception:

1998 Ólöf Nordal
1999 Finna Birna Steinsson
2000 Katrín Sigurðardóttir
2001 Gabríela Friðriksdóttir
2002 Sara Björnsdóttir
2003 Þóra Þórisdóttir
2004 Guðrún Vera Hjartardóttir
2006 Hekla Dögg Jónsdóttir
2008 Hulda Stefánsdóttir
2009 Margrét H. Blöndal
2010 Sara Riel
2011 Þórdís Aðalsteinsdóttir
2012 Ósk Vilhjálmsdóttir
2013 Guðný Rósa Ingimarsdóttir
2014 Ásdís Sif Gunnarsdóttir
2015 Sirra Sigrún Sigurðardóttir
2016 Hildigunnur Birgisdóttir
2017 Elín Hansdóttir
2018 Dodda Maggý
2019 Hulda Rós Guðnadóttir
2021 Anna Rún Tryggvadóttir
2022 Ingunn Fjóla Ingþórsdóttir
2022 Ingibjörg Sigurjónsdóttir – extra allocation on the occasion of Errós’ ninetieth birthday.

Guðmunda Kristinsdóttir Arts Fund (Mundusjóður)

 **Opening hours at Christmas and New Year**  
- Open 26 December 13h00-17h00
- Open 31 December 10h00-14h00
- Open 1 January 13h00-17h00
- Closed 24 and 25 December

**Easter opening hours**  
Reykjavík Art Museum is closed on Easter Sunday. Otherwise open as usual. In Hafnarhús, the focus is on exhibitions of progressive art by recognised national and international contemporary artists.  Hafnarhús is also home to the works of Erró which are permanently on show. 

For general visits to the Reykjavík Art Museum, the ticket is valid for 24 hours so you can come and go in all three of the museum’s locations during that time: Kjarvalsstaðir, Hafnarhús and Ásmundarsafn.

Open every day from 10h00 to 17h00 and Thursdays until 22h00.

Reykjavík Art Museum - Hafnarhús is located at Tryggvagata 17.  **Duration of visit**
It is good to allow 40-60 minutes for a visit to the Reykjavík Art Museum - Hafnarhús.
Visit to Hafnarhús

**Entrance**
The entrance to Hafnarhús is from Tryggvaga. There is a sliding door that opens automatically and is barrier-free. When you enter, you will see the reception on the left.

**Parking**
There are several parking spaces behind Hafnarhús on the Geirsgata side, which is accessible from Tryggvagata. There are also a number of parking spaces in the covered car park in Hafnartorg, which is accessible from Geirsgata and in the parking garage at Vesturgata 7. All of these are payable parking lots run by the City of Reykjavík.

**Bikes and electric scooters**
Bike racks are to be found by the City Library in Grófin.

**Public transport**
Buses no.1, 3, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14.

**Baby strollers**
In Hafnarhús you can store prams and borrow light strollers. Large strollers are not allowed into the exhibition halls for security reasons.

**Cloakrooms and lockers**
To the right of the ticket office there are lockers for bags and backpacks. Strollers, backpacks, large bags, umbrellas and other bulky items are not allowed into the exhibition halls for security reasons. A cloakroom can be found in the hallway where the lockers are.

**Toilets**
Toilets can be found both on the ground floor by the ticket office and on the 2nd floor by the coffee facilities. All the toilets on the 2nd floor are non-gendered. Accessible toilets are to the left of the ticket desk on the ground floor and in the same place as the other toilets on the 2nd floor. 

**Elevator**
There is an elevator between the floors of the museum, opposite the internal staircase on the ground floor.

**Chairs/sitting facilities**
The exhibitions change regularly, but you can usually expect to find benches to sit on in all the exhibition halls. If there is no bench, there are stools that visitors can request at the museum’s reception. 

**Multipurpose hall**
There is a multipurpose hall on the ground floor, facing the courtyard. There is no step to the multipurpose hall.

**Guided tours**
Guided tours of individual exhibitions are regularly held and advertised separately. The museum staff welcome groups by appointment. 

Please contact us by phoning 411-6400 or emailing listasafn(at)reykjavik.is for more information. **Accessibility**
There is good access for wheelchairs in the building and at most exhibitions. You enter the museum on the ground floor. There are no steps at the entrance and doors open automatically. There is an elevator on the ground floor of the building, opposite the staircase that is furthest from the entrance to the museum.

**Wheelchairs**
One wheelchair is available at the cloakroom on the ground floor. More information is available at the museum's reception desk. 

**Parking for the disabled**
There are two parking spaces for the disabled in Grófin, which is on the left side of the entrance to Hafnarhús.

**Toilets**
Toilets can be found both on the ground floor by the ticket office and on the 2nd floor by the coffee facilities. Accessible toilets are to the left of the ticket office on the ground floor and in the same place as the other toilets on the 2nd floor..

**Autism and people with sensory processing disorders**

**Stimuli**
Stimuli differ from one exhibition to the next and the reception staff is happy to provide information on what to expect in the exhibition halls. Most of the time, the museum is a quiet place to visit, but sometimes there are video works with sounds that can cause irritation. Lighting in the exhibition halls can be strong and is sometimes fluorescent.  

**Quiet spaces**
On the 2nd floor there are facilities to sit down, have a snack and rest. There is coffee and water available for guests.

**Blind and visually impaired**
You enter the museum on the ground floor. There are no steps at the entrance and the doors open automatically. There is an elevator on the ground floor of the building, opposite the staircase that is furthest from the entrance to the museum.

**Guide dogs**
Guide dogs are welcome in the museum.

**Guided tours**
The museum regularly offers guided tours for diverse groups and strives to meet their needs. The timing of each guided tour is advertised well in advance. View of the ticket desk and people. Grown ups with young children playing. A guided tour in the musem May to September 10:00 – 17:00
October to April 13:00 – 17:00

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About the museum

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History of Hafnarhús

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Guðmunda Kristinsdóttir Arts Fund (Mundusjóður)

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Hafnarhús

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