Byggingarlistasaga endurspeglar fortíðina líkt og þá tíma sem við lifum. Byggingaraðferðir, efniviður og útlitsleg einkenni gefa okkur vísbendingu um frá hvaða tíma byggingar eru. Þannig má lesa í byggingar og staðsetja þær í sögulegu og samfélagslegu samhengi. Markmið bókarinnar Byggingarnar okkar er að veita yngri lesendum grunnþekkingu á helstu einkennum íslenskrar byggingarlistasögu, frá torfhúsum til steinsteyptra húsa. Með aðgengilegum upplýsingum getum við vonandi sem flest lesið enn meira um og í byggingarnar í umhverfinu okkar. Höfundurinn Alma Sigurðardóttir er fædd á Akureyri árið 1985. Hún er með BA gráðu í arkitektúr frá Glasgow School of Art, MA gráðu í Listkennslu frá Listaháskóla Íslands og MSc gráðu í hönnun og varðveislu bygginga frá University of Strathclyde. Alma hefur yfirgripsmikla reynslu á sviði kennslu barna, miðlunar, varðveislu og rannsókna á íslenskri byggingarlist. Alma starfar sem verkefnastjóri í húsadeild Þjóðminjasafns Íslands ásamt því að vera í stjórn alþjóðlegu varðveislusamtakanna ICOMOS á Íslandi. Rakel Tómasdóttir grafískur hönnuður sá um umbrot og teikningar í bókinni.

The book Our Buildings; reflects on the past, as well as the present. Building methods, materials, and architectural characteristics provide us with clues about the era of construction. Thus, buildings can be read and placed within historical and societal contexts. The aim of the book Our Buildings is to provide younger readers with a basic understanding of the main features of Icelandic architectural history, from turf houses to concrete buildings. With accessible information, hopefully, we can encourage as many as possible to learn more about and read into Icelandic architectural history. 
The author Alma Sigurðardóttir was born in Akureyri in 1985. She holds a BA in Architecture from the Glasgow School of Art, an MA in Art Education from the Iceland University of the Arts, and an MSc in Architectural Design for the Conservation of Built Heritage from University of Strathclyde. Alma has extensive experience in teaching children, as well as in architectural conservation and research of Icelandic architectural history. She works as a project manager in the building collection of the National Museum of Iceland, and serves on the board of the international conservation association ICOMOS in Iceland. Rakel Tómasdóttir, a graphic designer, handled the layout and illustrations of the book.

Our Buildings discusses the trends and styles that characterize Icelandic architectural history from turf houses to concrete buildings in a simple manner, aiming for enhancing general literacy on Icelandic architectural history. In celebration of the Children´s Culture Festival and DesignMarch, the book will be showcased from 26th to 28th April. Visitors of the festivals will be able to view a digital version of the book and pre-order the book. Please note that admission to the museum is not required to view the book.

Our Buildings - Children´s book on Icelandic Architecture

Barnabókin Byggingarnar okkar fjallar um þá strauma og stíla sem að einkenna íslenska byggingarlistasögu frá torfhúsum til steinsteyptra húsa á einfaldan hátt með það að markmiði að sem flestir geti lesið um og í byggingarnar í umhverfinu okkar. Í tilefni af Barnamenningarhátíð og HönnunarMars verður bókin til sýnis frá 26. til 28. apríl í Aðalstræti 10 (Borgarsögusafn) þar sem hægt verður að skoða rafræna útgáfu af bókinni og gestir hátíðanna tryggt sér eintök í forsölu. Ath ekki þarf að greiða inn á safnið til að skoða bókina.

Byggingarnar okkar - Barnabók um íslenska byggingarlist

Fræðsla

Sýning

Are You Normal? is an exhibition that will be opened in the Pier Hall of the Reykjavík Maritime Museum on 24 April to celebrate the Children&#x27;s Culture Festival. Are you normal? is a project where teenagers reflect on what it is to be normal. The project is about stereotypes and how constricting they can be. The teenagers learn to recognize stereotypes and the importance of challenging them. Aren&#x27;t fat people sexy? Are gays always feminine? Should we feel sorry for people with disabilities? Can older people make out? Are mental illnesses terrible? The exhibition celebrates diversity and inclusivity. It is open from 10 to 17 every day until 7 May. Entry is free, and everyone is welcome!

Are you normal? Photo exhibition

Ertu normal? er verkefni þar sem unglingar í 8.-10. bekk fá tækifæri til að velta því fyrir sér hvað er að vera normal. Verkefnið fjallar um staðalmyndir og hversu hamlandi þær geta verið. Sýningin opnar 24. apríl í Bryggjusal Sjóminjasafnsins í Reykjavík. Ertu normal? er verkefni þar sem unglingar í 8.-10. bekk fá tækifæri til að velta því fyrir sér hvað er að vera normal. Verkefnið fjallar um staðalmyndir og hversu hamlandi þær geta verið. Unglingarnir læra að þekkja staðalmyndir, mikilvægi þess að ögra þeim ásamt því að taka ljósmyndir þar sem þær eru brotnar upp. Er feitt fólk ekki kynþokkafullt? Eru hommar alltaf kvenlegir? Þarf að vorkenna fólki með fötlun? Má gamalt fólk fara í sleik? Eru geðsjúkdómar hræðilegir? Sýningin fagnar fjölbreytileika og þátttöku allra. Hún er opin frá 10-17 alla sýningardaga. Lokasýningardagur er 7. maí.

Ertu normal? Ljósmyndasýning

Árbæjarsafn er útisafn sem var stofnað árið 1957 en auk Árbæjar eru þar yfir tuttugu hús, sem mynda torg, þorp og sveit. Í Árbæjarsafni er leitast við að gefa hugmynd um byggingalist og lifnaðarhætti í Reykjavík á 19. og 20. öld. Hvert og eitt hús geymir annaðhvort sjálfstæða sögusýningu eða þá að þar er sýnt dæmigert heimili frá ákveðnu tímabili. Á safninu má einnig sjá gamaldags verkstæði ýmiskonar þar sem sjá má dæmigerða aðstöðu, tækni og tól.

Árbær was an established farm well into the 20th century, and the museum opened there in 1957. Árbær is now an open-air museum with more than 20 buildings which form a town square, a village and a farm. Most of the buildings have been relocated from central Reykjavik. The Museum seeks to give an idea of architecture and way of life in Reykjavik in the 19th and 20th centuries. Each house contains either an independent historical exhibition or a typical home from a specific period. The museum also houses old-fashioned workshops of typical facilities, technology and tools.

The guide takes guests to all the main houses of the museum and tells their story.

Guided tour at Árbær Open Air Museum

Leiðsögumaður fer með gesti í öll helstu hús Árbæjarsafns og segir frá sögu þeirra.

Leiðsögn á Árbæjarsafni

Leiðsögn

Varðskipið Óðinn er hluti af Sjóminjasafninu og um leið ein helsta sýning safnsins. Skipið kom til safnsins árið 2008 og er varðveitt í því ástandi sem það kom. Boðið er upp á leiðsagnir á hverjum degi fyrir utan köldustu vetrarmánuðina auk þess sem skipið er opið gestum á hátíðisdögum sem er þá sérstaklega auglýst. 

Í leiðsögn er gengið um skipið, sagt frá sögu þess, lífinu um borð og því hlutverki sem að það gegndi hjá Landhelgisgæslu Íslands. Hver leiðsögn tekur tæplega klukkustund.

Til þess að tryggja öryggi um borð skal hafa í huga:

Lágt getur verið til lofts og hvassar brúnir og horn sem hægt er að reka sig í. Stigar eru brattir. Skipið hentar ekki fólki sem fær innilokunarkennd eða hefur skerta hreyfigetu. Börn yngri en 12 ára skulu ætíð vera í fylgd með fullorðnum.

Börn eru á ábyrgð forráðamanna.

The Coast Guard Vessel Óðinn is a part of the Reykjavík Maritime Museum. It is, as such, one of the Maritime Museum's primary exhibitions. It is preserved in the condition in which it arrived at the museum in 2008.

We offer daily guided tours on board the vessel except during the coldest winter months. It is also open to the public on national holidays, which we announce especially.

A guided tour includes walking around the vessel and hearing about the history on board and its role under the Icelandic Coast Guard. Each guided tour takes a little less than an hour.

To ensure safety on board, you should keep the following in mind:

The ceiling can be low, and please beware of sharp edges. The stairs are steep. The ship is not suited for people with claustrophobia or with reduced mobility.

We offer daily guided tours on board the Coast Guard vessel Óðinn from March to November, focusing on the Cod Wars and the vessel's rescue history. Welcome on board!

The Coast Guard Vessel Óðinn - guided tour on board

Við bjóðum daglegar leiðsagnir frá mars-nóvember í hinu sögufræga varðskipi Óðni þar sem þorskastríðin og björgunarsaga skipsins eru í brennidepli. Velkomin um borð!

Varðskipið Óðinn - leiðsögn um borð

Daniel Perez Edvardsson invites everyone to his exhibition finale, "The Man Who Slept Like a Flamenco Dancer," featuring flamenco dancing and light refreshments.
Admission is free, and all are welcome!

Finissage: The Man Who Slept Like a Flamenco Dancer

Daníel Perez Eðvarðsson býður gesti velkomna í lokahóf fyrir sýningu sína "Maðurinn sem svaf eins og flamengódansari". Boðið verður upp á léttar veitingar og já auðvitað flamengódans nema hvað!
Frítt inn og öll velkomin!

Lokahóf: Maðurinn sem svaf eins og flamengódansari

Í Aðalstræti er margt að sjá fyrir forvitna krakka. Þar getum við séð hvernig Reykjavík breyttist frá landnámi til dagsins í dag. Leiðsögnin byrjar í Aðalstræti 16 þar sem er rúst af húsi frá 10. öld. Leiðin liggur svo yfir í elsta hús Kvosarinnar, Aðalstræti 10, þar sem við sjáum Reykjavík sem lítinn bæ. Við skoðum líka húsin, fólkið og krakkana sem bjuggu í bænum.
Leiðsögnin er ókeypis og er fyrir krakka sem tala táknmál og fjölskyldur þeirra. Öll þau sem tala táknmál eru líka hjartanlega velkomin.
Viðburðurinn er hluti af hinni árlegu barnamenningarhátíð borgarinnar. Leiðarljós hátíðarinnar eru gæði, margbreytileiki, jafnræði og gott aðgengi að menningu barna, með börnum og fyrir börn.
Aðgengi er gott í Aðalstræti. Athugið þó að það er fremur lítil lýsing inni í sýningarsal hjá rústinni og þar er gólfið ójafnt á köflum. Leiðsöguhundar eru velkomnir í safnið.
Strætisvagnar stoppa við Ráðhúsið (2 mín. gangur) og í Lækjargötu (5 mín. gangur).

There is plenty for curious kids to explore in Aðalstræti, including the history of Reykjavík from its settlement to the present day. The guided tour will begin at Aðalstræti 16, where visitors can observe the ruins of a house from the 10th century. The route then continues to the oldest house in Aðalstræti 10, where participants can see Reykjavík as a small town. The tour will also highlight the old houses, the people, and the children who lived in the town.

The guided tour is free for kids who speak sign language and their families and is open to everyone who communicates through sign language.

The event is part of the Children's Culture Festival, an annual event in Reykjavík that focuses on quality, diversity, non-discrimination, and easy access to children's culture, with and for children.

Accessibility is good in Aðalstræti. However, note that there is relatively little lighting inside the exhibition room by the ruins, and the floor is sometimes uneven. Guide dogs are welcome at the museum.
Buses stop at the City Hall (2-minute walk) and Lækjargata (5-minute walk).

On Saturday, 27 April, at 14:00, we will offer a guided tour in Icelandic sign language for children and their families at the Reykjavík City Museum's exhibition in Aðalstræti. Sigurlín Margrét Sigurdardóttir, a sign language guide, will lead the tour.

Old Reykjavík - Guided tour for kids in Icelandic sign language

Í tilefni Barnamenningarhátíðar býður Borgarsögusafn upp á barna- og fjölskylduleiðsögn á táknmáli laugardaginn 27. apríl, kl. 14:00 á sýningu safnsins í Aðalstræti. Sigurlín Margrét Sigurðardóttir, táknmálsleiðsögumaður, sér um leiðsögnina.

Gamla Reykjavík - Krakkaleiðsögn á táknmáli

Árbær Open Air Museum

Growing Pains

Daníel Perez Eðvarðsson│The Man who Slept like a Flamenco Dancer (en)

Reykjavík Museum of Photography

Daníel Perez Eðvarðsson│The Man who Slept like a Flamenco Dancer

Heimir Freyr Hlöðversson│We are Earth – We are Water

Reykjavík Maritime Museum

Fish & folk – 150 years of fisheries

Viðey Island

Milestones│Richard Serra

The Imagine Peace Tower

Consumption – Reykjavík in the 20th century

The Age of Carts

Come and play!

From High Mass to High Jump 

Aðalstræti

### Árbær Open Air Museum


Árbær Open Air Museum
Kistuhylur 
110 Reykjavík
Tel. (+354) 411 6304
E-mail: arbaejarsafn@reykjavik.is

The Árbær museum is a large open-air museum featuring over 20 houses accessible to guests during opening hours. Originally, the area was home to a farmhouse (Árbær), with the other houses relocated to the museum later on, mostly from Reykjavík town centre. 

The houses are as diverse as they are many, some with tiny rooms and narrow staircases, while others have larger chambers.

Staff members dress in period costumes and are easy to identify. You can always find a friendly staff member on hand at the ticket office for information and assistance.

Opening hours are seasonal and vary accordingly. 

Visit duration: 1-2 hours.

The Museum's entrance seen from the parking facilitiies 

**Parking facilities** 

Parking facilities is located opposite the museum entrance. It’s also possible to pull up directly outside the museum entrance to drop off and pick up visitors. There are five blue-badge parking spots approximately 50 meters from the museum entrance. The path to the entrance is heated by a snowmelt system.

**Public transport**

Bus services 12 and 24 stop at Höfðabakki, by the museum. Bus service 16 stops at Streng (5-min. walk) and service 5, by Rofabæ (6-min. walk). 

**Entry**

Entry to the museum is via the ticket office, where you will also find a museum shop with staff on hand to assist and provide information. The ticket office opens onto a lawn-covered town square, surrounded by houses with footpaths leading around the museum grounds. Doors at the ticket office are automated; however, the doorway features a raised threshold. Ask museum staff to open the side gate for easier access.


**Footpaths **

Footpaths throughout the museum are mostly surfaced with gravel. In some places, they are paved.

Note! 
Puddles often form in wet weather, which can freeze over and become slippery, despite efforts to grit them regularly. Please ask at reception for courtesy crampons. While part of the museum is located on level ground, some areas incline gently down towards the Elliðaár river, where many of the footpaths are situated on slopes.


**Seating**

Outdoor benches can be found in various places around the museum. There is also ample seating inside the houses, such as in Landakot, Lækjargata 4, the ticket office, the church, and at Relief House.


**Toilet facilities **

Toilet facilities are located in 3 houses: Landakot, Lækjargata 4 and the Granary, as well as Dillon's House, when it’s open.

**Farm Animals**

The museum is home to free-range chickens year-round. During the summer months, other farms animals, such as sheep and horses, can be found in the enclosure. Note that dogs, apart from guide and service dogs, are not permitted in the area. 

Unfortunately, we do not provide courtesy strollers or pushchairs, but guests are welcome to bring their own. Changing facilities are found in the bathrooms at Landakot.


**Picnic areas**

Picnic areas with tables and benches can be found on the grounds in two places: one by the square, and the other located on the west side of the museum, which also has a charcoal grill.

**The cafe at Dillon’s House** is open during the summer. On the south side of the house, there’s a garden deck with outdoor furniture. The house is divided into three rooms of varying size and a bathroom. 


**Conference facilities**

Conference facilities are available to rent in four of the museum houses. The church is also available for events. Conference rooms and rentals can be found at Dillon’s House, The Granary (upper floor) and Lækjargata 4 (ground floor).


**Guided tours**

Guided tours are available to guests daily at 13:00. Tours are offered in both English and Icelandic, on request.

Information and images of each of the houses can be found [here](https://app.arbaejarsafn.is/#)

#### Museum houses

Steps and thresholds are features in many of the museum houses. The following describes accessibility to three houses.


**Landakot**

Access at Landakot is good. The pavements are heated, and there is a ramp to the lift, operated by staff. On the ground floor, you will find accessible toilets, as well as the exhibition. Doorways in the house are wide with enough space for wheelchairs.

Stairs lead to the exhibition on the upper floor and down to the basement, which is occasionally open to the public during exhibitions. 

The basement is wheelchair accessible from the outside via a separate entrance opened with the help of staff.


**Lækjargata 4**

For wheelchair access, a portable wooden ramp (located inside the house) can be placed on the pavement in front of the entrance. On the ground floor, there are two rooms with seating facilities and an guest toilet. A wide staircase with railings leads to an exhibition on the second floor, with more seating available for guests.


**The Granary**

The entrance to the Granary features a raised threshold and is accessible for light wheelchairs via a portable ramp. The ramp is heavy and requires staff assistance to install.

Although there are toilet facilities in this house, they are, unfortunately, not wheelchair accessible. The ground floor features temporary exhibitions of varying duration, ranging from a few months to several years. A staircase leads to the upper floor of the house, which is occasionally open to guests during public events but is mainly used for meetings or private functions.

### Aðalstræti

Aðalstræti 16 & 10, 
101 Reykjavík
Phone (+354) 411 6370


Aðalstræti has an exhibition about the history of Reykjavík and how it developed from the settlement to the present day. You can enter through two different entrances, Aðalstræti 16 and Aðalstræti 10.
The older part (formerly the Landnámssýningin) is connected underground with a bright corridor so that you can walk over to the newer part. There is an entrance on each side, so you can choose whether to enter through Aðalstræti 10 or 16.

The older part of the exhibition is underground and the entrance is at the corner of Aðalstræti 16 and Túngáta. There is an exhibition hall, an educational room for school groups, a toilet corridor, a reception area with a family corner and a children's play area as well as a museum shop.
At Aðalstræti 10 there is a museum shop, a ticket office, several small exhibition spaces, stairs, an elevator and toilets. The entrance is from Brattagata.


Normally, the exhibition is a quiet place to visit. There are some audible sounds, like singing, animal noises and working noises from computer screens and multimedia inside the exhibition space. The exhibition cover three floors, with two elevators running between them. 

The exhibition is accessible to people with disabilities. You can stop a car at both entrances to drop off passengers. There are a few benches to sit on in the buildings. Note that the older part in Aðalstræti 16 is rather dimly lit and its floor is uneven in places. It has an exhibition hall, an education room for school groups, a toilet hallway, a reception area with a family and play area, as well as a museum shop. 

Aðalstræti 10 has a museum shop, ticket desk, a few small exhibition spaces, a staircase, an elevator, and toilets. 
A bright corridor in the basement connects the two houses. 

Visit duration: 1-2 hours.


**Parking**

Public parking is possible at Túngata, close to the entrance. You can also park in an underground garage at City Hall (2 min away) or in parking garage in Mjóstræti (4-5 min away). All of these places charge you for parking. Buses can be parked in front of City Hall. Taxis can park directly in front of the entrance to Aðalstræti 16, if the space is free, it is possible to drop people off there before you park the car.

**Public Transport**

The next stops are at City Hall (2 min away) and Lækjargata (5 min away). 


**Entrance on the corner of Aðalstræti 16 and Túngata**

The entrance is at Aðalstræti. From Túngata, there are two steps down onto a small square in front of the entrance. From Aðalstræti, the access is level, no steps. You can push a button to open the door automatically and there is no threshold.


**Entrance on the corner of Aðalstræti 10**

The entrance is from Brattagata, into a back building at Aðalstræti 10. The door opens automatically, no thresholds. The reception and museum shop are by the entrance, and from there you can enter Kvosin’s oldest building, Aðalstræti 10, or go past the museum shop into the exhibition space. There, you’ll find the staircase and the elevator to the other floors.


**Wheelchairs**

Wheelchair access is good throughout the building and within the exhibition. Note that the floor in Aðalstræti 16 is a bit uneven. In a few places, there are stones on the floor, with level bridges across, wide enough for wheelchairs.




**Seating Facilities**

There are benches in reception, tall chairs by the computer table, chairs in the family area and benches inside the exhibition space.


**Toilets**

There are three toilets to the left of the reception in Aðalstræti 16. The hallway also has lockers and hangers. One of the toilets is designed for wheelchairs. 
Close to the corridor connecting the two houses you’ll find three toilets, one of which is designed for wheelchairs and people with disabilities.


**Pushchairs**

There are two pushchairs for children available for borrowing at both receptions. You are welcome to bring your own pushchair. 


**Picnic Facilities**

There is no picnic area or cafeteria at the museum. 


**Stimulus**

There is quite a bit of stimuli in the exhibition, particularly multimedia material with accompanying audio (for example birds, sheep, hammer blows). There is also the smell of the sea in two places, fruit/candy smell in one space, and tar smell in another.
In exceptional circumstances, you can be allowed into the education room to relax, if it is free. 


From Aðalstræti 16 lies a bright connecting corridor to Aðalstræti 10. At the end of the corridor, there is a larger space where you can sit and watch photos that are projected on the wall. There are also toilets. From there, you go up to the next floor, either by walking up the stairs or taking the elevator. 
Once you arrive up on the ground floor, you enter two exhibition spaces, one of which contains a model of the buildings in Aðalstræti. The model has accompanying audio, for example singing, animal noises, working noises. You can also use special binoculars to view the model, see people arrive between the buildings and hear them speak. This area has two multimedia screens, with accordion music, among other things, but you can turn the sound off while you examine them.

From this space, you can either go into the museum shop at Aðalstræti 10, or move up to the top floor of the building. In the attic, you can sit down and look at photographs on large screens and examine a model of Reykjavík Airport. These two floors have subdued lighting. 
From the museum shop, you can exit to Brattagata or enter Aðalstræti 10, the oldest building in Kvosin. This building has three rather small but brightly lit exhibition spaces. One of them also carries a smell of fruit/candies, and one of them smells like tar. 

Reykjavík City Museum regularly advertises special opening hours where sensory stimuli, such as sound and light, are specifically set with the needs of the group in mind. Autism groups and associations can request a special opening by emailing safnfraedsla@reykjavik.is. 


Access

411-6300 or send an email to borgarsogusafn@reykjavik.is 

Ac­cess

Access