Reykjavík Art Museum – Ásmundarsafn

Top choice in Reykjavík


There’s something immensely playful about the vast collection of sculptures by Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893–1982) housed in the studio and museum he designed – the rounded, white Ásmundarsafn. Monumental concrete creations fill the garden, while the peaceful haven of the interlocking cupolas showcases works in wood, clay and metals, some of them mobile, exploring themes as diverse as folklore and physics.

Soaring skylights and white marble give way to a fun dome, where the acoustics create the museum's strict 'must-sing policy'. Getting into the spirit of things, the council added an igloo-shaped bus stop out the front.

Transportation

  • bus: 2, 4, 14, 15, 17, 19

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Reykjavík attractions

1. Laugardalur

0.32 MILES

Laugardalur encompasses a verdant stretch of land 4km east of the city centre. It was once the main source of Reykjavík’s hot-water supply: it translates…

2. Reykjavík Botanic Gardens

0.48 MILES

More than 5000 varieties of subarctic plants fill the city's botanic gardens, delivering a wealth of colourful seasonal flowers and plenty of birdlife,…

3. Reykjavík Zoo & Family Park

0.55 MILES

Sunny days see happy local families flocking to this children's park in Laugardalur. Don’t expect lions and tigers; think seals, foxes and farm animals in…

4. Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum

0.76 MILES

Sculptor Sigurjón Ólafsson (1908–82) used this peaceful seafront building as a studio. Now it showcases his varied, powerful work: portrait busts,…

7. Miklatún Park

0.92 MILES

Miklatún Park is home to the angular glass-and-wood Kjarvalsstaðir museum, named after Jóhannes Kjarval (1885–1972), one of Iceland’s most popular…

8. Icelandic Phallological Museum

0.93 MILES

Oh, the jokes are endless here... This unique museum houses a huge collection of penises, and it's actually very well done. From pickled pickles to…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "iceland/reykjavik/attractions/reykjavik-art-museum-asmundarsafn/a/poi-sig/1265883/359560",
      "destination": "Reykjavík",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Iceland",
      "city": "Reykjavík",
      "position": "superzone"
    }