Harpa Concert Hall

Harpa

Reykjavík

Harpa opened in May 2011 after construction stalled during Iceland's financial crisis — a pause that made its eventual completion feel like a statement. The building sits on the old harbor's edge, designed by Henning Larsen Architects with Danish artist Olafur Eliasson responsible for the facade. He clad it in geometric glass panels using a modular hexagonal form; the panels shift color and transparency with the light and weather, most striking at night when the embedded LEDs are running. The main hall, Eldborg, seats 1,600 to 1,800 people and hosts the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Icelandic Opera, and visiting performers. The lower public floors are free to walk through, and the harbor-facing café has some of the best waterfront views in the city. Harpa won the EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture (Mies van der Rohe Award) in 2013. The building anchors the eastern end of the waterfront, a short walk from the Sun Voyager sculpture and the working harbor. Admission to public spaces is free; performance tickets vary by event.

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