Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre
Glass-faceted concert hall on Reykjavík harbour, home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.
Harpa stands on the eastern edge of Reykjavík's old harbour, on a site where construction stalled during the 2008 financial crisis before the Icelandic state and city completed the building. It opened in May 2011 as the first purpose-built concert hall in the country and houses the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera. Four auditoria of differing size sit within a shared foyer, the largest being Eldborg, a red-toned hall seating about 1,800 people and used for symphonic and amplified concerts alike.
The exterior is the work of Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, who devised a skin of stacked quasi-brick glass modules that catch daylight and reflect the harbour, sky and surrounding mountains. The design team was led by Henning Larsen Architects with the Icelandic practice Batteríið, and the building received the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, the Mies van der Rohe Award, in 2013. Visitors may walk the public foyers and terraces freely, while guided tours give access to Eldborg and backstage areas.
Highlights
- Eldborg, the 1,800-seat main hall used by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra
- Quasi-brick glass façade designed by artist Olafur Eliasson
- Winner of the 2013 Mies van der Rohe Award for contemporary architecture
- Free access to the multi-storey foyer, terraces and harbour views
