Harpa (concert hall)
| Harpa | |
|---|---|
 Harpa Concert Hall | |
| General information | |
| Type | Concert hall & conference centre |
| Location | Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Address | Austurbakki 2 |
| Town or city | Reykjavík |
| Country | Iceland |
| Coordinates | 64°9′1″N 21°55′57″W / 64.15028°N 21.93250°W |
| Current tenants |
Iceland Symphony Orchestra The Icelandic Opera |
| Construction started | January 12, 2007 |
| Completed | 2011 |
| Opening | May 13, 2011 |
| Cost | €164 million[1] |
| Owner | Portus |
| Height | 43 metres (141 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor area | 28,000 square metres (300,000 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm |
Henning Larsen Architects Batteríið |
| Other designers |
Ólafur Elíasson, facade design Artec Consultants, acoustics design |
| Main contractor | ÍAV |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity |
1,600–1,800 (Eldborg, main hall) 450 (Norðurljós) 750 (Silfurberg) 195 (Kaldalón) |
| Website | |
| Venue website | |
Harpa is a concert hall and conference centre in Reykjavík, Iceland. The opening concert was held on May 4, 2011.
Harpa was designed by the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects in co-operation with Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. The structure consists of a steel framework clad with geometric shaped glass panels of different colours. The building was originally part of a redevelopment of the Austurhöfn area dubbed World Trade Center Reykjavík, which was partially abandoned when the financial crisis took hold. The development was intended to include a 400-room hotel, luxury apartments, retail units, restaurants, a car park and the new headquarters of Icelandic bank Landsbanki.
The completion of the structure was uncertain until the government decided in 2008 to fully fund the rest of the construction costs for the half-built concert hall. The building was given its name on the Day of Icelandic Music on 11 December 2009, prior to which it was called The Reykjavík Concert Hall and Conference Centre (Icelandic: Tónlistar- og ráðstefnuhúsið í Reykjavík). The building is the first purpose-built concert hall in Reykjavík. It houses the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and The Icelandic Opera.
Harpa is operated by Portus, a company owned by the Icelandic government and the City of Reykjavík.
Harpa gallery
References
- ↑ MacKin, Laurence. "Iceland opens stunning new arts centre in the teeth of a recession". Irish Times. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
External links
- Official website (Icelandic)
- Official website (English)
- Picture Gallery from islandsmyndir.is
- Rowan Moore, "Harpa Concert Hall - in pictures: A stunning new concert Hall in Reykjavik is the result of a collaboration between Henning Larsen Architects and the artist Olafur Eliasson", The Guardian 28 August 2011.
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harpa (concert hall). |