Icelandic National Concert & Conference Centre, Building Design, Image, Architect

Reykjavik Concert Hall, Iceland : Architecture Information

Icelandic Architecture by Henning Larsen Architects + Olafur Eliasson

29 Jun 2010

Harpa – Reykjavik Concert Hall – News Update

Olafur Eliasson in collaboration with Henning Larsen Architects
Construction of the facade for Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre, 2010
Eignarhaldsfélagi∂ Portus ehf., Reykjavik, Iceland
Expected completion date: 2011

Harpa, Reykjavik Concert Hall auditorium interior
photograph : Nic Lehoux

Harpa, Reykjavík’s new Concert Hall and Conference Centre will open on May 4, 2011. Designed by Henning Larsen Architects with acoustics by Artec Consultants Inc and a façade by Olafur Eliasson in collaboration with the architects, Harpa is to become home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera, and thus a major addition to the Icelandic and European cultural scene. It is the most ambitious cultural project in Iceland as well as an endeavor of great importance for the community.

Icelandic Concert Hall – latest information

The Icelandic National Concert & Conference Centre, Reykjavik, Iceland

Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall
images © 2007 Portus ehf., Olafur Eliasson, and Henning Larsen Architects

The Icelandic National Concert & Conference Centre gathers inspiration from the northern lights and the dramatic Icelandic nature. Situated in Reykjavik on the boundary between the land and the sea, the building stands out like a radiant sculpture ref lecting both sky and harbour space as well as the vibrant life of the city.

Together with Henning Larsen Architects, Olafur Eliasson has designed the facades of the building – a crystalline lattice of glass and steel. The glass prisms of the facades capture and ref lect the light, mirroring the day and the seasons like “a calendar of light”.

The daylight plays in the glass and puts the surface of the building into constant motion. At night it is the light from within that glows out over the city and the surrounding landscape. The balconies in the main foyer offer a spectacular view of the centre of Reykjavik, towards Mount Esja and the glacier at Snæfells Jökull.

The 23,000 m2 concert and congress centre is part of a large masterplan for the harbour area of Reykjavik. Besides the concert and congress centre, the plan comprises a big five-star hotel and wellness centre, a fine arts academy, a bank domicile, a cinema, a new urban plaza and shopping street as well as a number of residential and commercial buildings along the fjord. With the masterplan, Reykjavik’s centre is expanded with a total of 85,000 m2, and the overall objective is to improve the connection between the city centre and the harbour.

Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall
images © 2007 Portus ehf., Olafur Eliasson, and Henning Larsen Architects

Icelandic Conference Centre – Building Information

Client: Austurhofn, East Harbour Project
Construction period: 2005-09
Gross floor area: 23,000 m2
Construction value: 161 mill. EUR
Type of assignment: 1st prize, international competition

Icelandic National Concert & Conference Centre – Building info from Henning Larsen Architects Nov 2007

Henning Larsen Architects, Denmark

Location: Reykjavik, Iceland

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Comments / photos for the Harpa – Reykjavik Concert & Conference Centre page welcome

Website: Iceland