ABSTRACT
The new art museum occupies two floors of the south wing and three floors of the north wing of a concrete warehouse built around an open court between 1933-9. The main pier in Reykjavik occupied the site at the turn of the century - Iceland's umbilical cord to the world. This link is reawakened in the art museum. Externally the building is predominantly painted 'Fishery Protection Vessel' grey with the museum demarcated in white. A concrete canopy marks the entrance and new windows either contain hermetically sealed doors or allow glimpses into the south gallery. Internally the canopy reflects light into the double-height lobby, which is one of a series of spaces, lined with hot rolled steel sheets and black walnut floors, which collectively form the 'pier link'. Flanking the lobby is the raw concrete museum shop and reception with white and walnut furnishings. Cloakrooms are contained within a crystalline glass box. Bisected by the pier, the court is split into a large external exhibition space and a small multipurpose room, each with white concrete floors. Two steel doors allow the pier to open to the court and two pairs of folding steel doors offer an array of openings to the room. A skylight box illuminates the pier and at night its glow fills the court.
