Conservation and Research Centre

An agreement for a new Preservation and Research Centre for the National Museum of Iceland at Tjarnarvellir in Hafnarfjörður has been signed. This new centre marks an important milestone in the preservation of national heritage in Iceland. It will provide ideal conditions for the preservation of national treasures under the correct security conditions, and well-equipped facilities for curatorial work, teaching and research within the remit of the National Museum of Iceland, which is the principal museum for cultural heritage. 

The building will provide facilities for the specialised preservation of the National Museum's diverse collection. Artifacts and finds from archaeological excavations in Iceland will be preserved in a specially equipped facility for processing and research. The building is located at Tjarnarvellir in Hafnarfjörður, is 4,270 m² in size, and it is planned that the National Museum will take it into use in mid-2016. The building was designed by ArkÞing. The new Preservation and Research Centre of the National Museum will house secure storage for a large part of the museum's collection, as well as facilities for staff, specialists, academics and students. The secure storage areas will feature state-of-the-art climate control to ensure the preservation of sensitive collections. The building will also house laboratories, conservation workshops, and facilities for preparing exhibitions. The building will also have teaching facilities, as the National Museum of Iceland is a university institution with an important role for researchers and students. The collections of the National Museum of Iceland will be housed in a fully equipped facility in phases over the next two years, as part of the collections has until now been stored in temporary conditions in Seltjarnarnes, Reykjavík and Kópavogur. Part of the collection will continue to be housed in the museum's premises in Kópavogur, where the National Museum of Iceland's Photograph Collection will remain.

The Municipality of Hafnarfjörður welcomes the arrival of the National Museum to the municipality and the addition to the range of Hafnarfjörður's business life that the museum and its setting represent. 

Image credit: veitingageirinn.is