Perlan sold

Ritstjórn
The sale of Perlan was sealed with a handshake by Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir and Gunnar Gunnarsson, CEO of Perlan, in the museum's new exhibition hall.

The City Executive Council has approved a purchase offer from Perlan þróunarfélag ehf. (Perlan Development Company) for Perlan on Öskjuhlíð, along with two tanks. This involves the same party that has leased Perlan for the past nine years. The signing took place in Perlan's new exhibition hall, which opens in June.

Varmahlíð 1, which includes the Perlan assembly hall and two tanks housing a museum and planetarium, was advertised for sale in July 2024. The sales process was divided into two stages, with a minimum price set at 3.5 billion króna. Two parties submitted applications in the first stage, but Perlan Development Company submitted the only bid in the second stage. The bid price is 3,507,161,172 króna. Conditions the buyer initially set in their purchase offer are no longer in place, and through contract negotiations, both parties have reached agreement on payment arrangements for the purchase price.

Media attended the signing and got to see the new exhibition.
Fjölmiðlar mættu á undirritunina og fengu að sjá nýju sýninguna.

Conditions regarding right of first refusal, school visits and more

Perlan is one of Reykjavík City's main landmarks, so the following conditions will be registered on the properties alongside the purchase agreement:

  • Reykjavík City has the right of first refusal on the properties.
  • Perlan will be used for entertainment-related activities, such as museums, exhibitions, dining services or other uses that make the location an attractive destination for the public in Reykjavík City.
  • Primary school children in Reykjavík can visit the natural history museums operating on the properties free of charge through organized school visits twice during their schooling from first through 10th grade.

Both parties have also expressed their intention to work together so that development of the Varmahlíð 1 area contributes to diverse services for users and makes Öskjuhlíð a desirable destination for locals and visitors.

Attendees got to see the new exhibition, which opens in June.
Nýja sýningin er tilkomumikil og hefur verið í smíðum í eitt og hálft ár. Búist er við að hún opni í júní.

Complete turnaround in the building's operations

Reykjavík Heating built Perlan, and it opened in 1991. Reykjavík City bought Perlan in 2013 and later purchased two water tanks from Reykjavík Energy. At that time, the building's operations were not self-sustaining, but a complete turnaround has happened and revenues now easily cover costs. The building and tanks total about 5,800 square meters.

Purchase agreement and presentation to City Executive Council