Harpa, Reykjavik

Harpa, Reykjavik (Iceland)

Harpa is a concert hall and conference center in Reykjavk Iceland. The opening concert was held on May 4 2011. The building features a distinctive colored glass facade inspired by the basalt landscape of Iceland. Harpa was designed by the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects in cooperation with Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. The structure consists of a steel framework clad with geometric-shaped glass panels of different colors. The building was originally part of a redevelopment of the Austurhfn area dubbed World Trade Center Reykjavk which was temporarily abandoned when the 2008 Icelandic financial crisis took hold. The development was originally intended to include a 400-room hotel luxury apartments retail units restaurants a car park and the new headquarters of the Icelandic bank Landsbanki.