Hafnarfjörður Library modernises and moves to Fjörður

The biggest construction project in the city centre in decades

The City of Hafnarfjörður has finalised the purchase of new premises for the Hafnarfjörður Library in the Fjörður shopping centre. This is to modernise the city's 102-year-old library and adapt it to the changing demands and needs of the community. The library will be in the spirit of modern libraries; a multimedia centre offering diverse uses, creativity and socialising.

The premises are almost 1,700 square metres in size. Of this, around 550 square metres are in the new Fjörður building at Strandgata 26-30, which is rising rapidly these days. The alterations and the development at Fjörður are the largest projects to have taken place in the centre of Hafnarfjörður for decades.

An attraction for residents

„We look forward to our library being significantly enhanced and becoming a major attraction for residents of all ages. It will be a meeting place for us to gather, enrich and nourish the spirit,“ says Mayor Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir.

„Across Europe, libraries have been evolving with the modern era, with a greater emphasis on quiet spaces, experience and family togetherness. We also envisage a greater emphasis on diverse cultural events.  We are looking forward to enjoying the library in a new location in the heart of Hafnarfjörður.“

At its meeting on 19 June, the Hafnarfjörður Town Council unanimously approved the town's offer to purchase the premises, which will be signed with 220 Fjörður ehf. at the museum's new location in the Firðir at 16:30 on Wednesday, 28 August.

A changed and improved Fjord

Guðmundur Bjarni Harðarson, managing director of 220 Fjarðar, says that the new library, which will be a kind of knowledge centre, will undoubtedly be of great importance to a new and changed Fjørður.

„We foresee that it will have great appeal. The library currently receives around 125,000 visitors a year. We believe it is quite likely that visitor numbers will triple. It will be a community centre, as the Fjørður is the central hub of the capital region.“

The construction contractors are GG Verk and Arkitektar ASK Arkitektar. Supervision and construction management of the project is in the hands of Strendingur ehf. The purchase price is approximately 1.1 billion króna.

The fjord is changing rapidly these days. 220 Fjord is building 9,000 square metres there, bringing the total to 21,000 square metres. Alongside the new library building, there will be 18 hotel apartments, 31 luxury flats, retail space and a 1,200-square-metre car park basement.

• The Hafnarfjörður Library was established just over 100 years ago. It is extremely popular with the town's residents, with around 125,000 visitors annually. The library's current premises are at 1 Strandgata, spread over four floors and seven levels. The library will be on a single floor in new premises, which will provide extensive and varied facilities.
• The aim is for the premises to be handed over to the library in early 2026. Fjörður Shopping Centre is in the heart of Hafnarfjörður, close to a bustling social life, culture, history and shopping. The shopping centre is being expanded by 8,700 square metres to include a car park. The design of the new building is sophisticated and timeless, with careful attention paid to the choice of materials, interiors and finishes. Emphasis is placed on an elegant appearance that blends well with the beautiful and cosy surroundings of Hafnarfjörður's town centre. There will be 18 hotel apartments facing Strandgata and 31 apartments with a magnificent view out to the fjord or over the old town.
• On the ground floor there will be shops and services, and on the first floor there will be a restaurant and a new Hafnarfjörður Library.
• The development will also feature a supermarket with a good selection of goods, a food hall/cafeteria where you can enjoy a variety of food from morning until evening, as well as shops of various sizes and types. Great care is taken to select a diverse and high-quality range of shops and services.
• More information about the new centre of Hafnarfjörður: 220midbaer.is