Harpa - Music Hall
Harpa is Reykjavik's concert hall and conference centre, sitting on the waterfront at the edge of the Old Harbour. Its glass facade, designed by artist Ólafur Elíasson and Henning Larsen Architects, has made it one of the most photographed buildings in Iceland since it opened in 2011. The public areas are free to enter, and the building is home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera.
Reykjavik's Glass Concert Hall and a Symbol of Icelandic Resilience
Construction on Harpa began in 2007 as part of a larger waterfront redevelopment plan, but ground to a halt in 2008 when Iceland's banking system collapsed and the private developers went bankrupt. The Icelandic government made the decision to fund the building's completion, and Harpa opened to the public on 4 May 2011. The glass facade was designed by Ólafur Elíasson, the Icelandic-Danish artist known internationally for his large-scale installations using light and natural phenomena, in collaboration with Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects. The geometric panels change colour and appearance throughout the day as light shifts across them, and at night the exterior is illuminated in waves of colour. Harpa won the Mies van der Rohe Award in 2013, one of the most prestigious prizes in European architecture.
Inside, Harpa is home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Icelandic Opera, and the Reykjavik Big Band. The main concert hall, Eldborg, seats around 1,800 people and is celebrated for its acoustics. Three smaller halls host chamber music, jazz, theatre, and conferences. The building runs over 1,400 events per year, ranging from classical concerts and opera to stand-up comedy, film screenings, and the Reykjavik Jazz Festival. Guided tours of the building run daily and give access to the concert halls and backstage areas not normally open to the public. Two restaurants are on site: Hnoss on the ground floor and La Primavera on the fourth floor with views across the harbour to Mount Esja.
The public areas of Harpa are free to enter and open daily, making it worth a visit even without a ticket to a performance. The lobby offers views of the harbour, design shops, and rotating art installations. The building is located at Austurbakki 2, at the eastern end of the Old Harbour, and is within easy walking distance of the Sun Voyager sculpture, the Reykjavik Maritime Museum, and Laugavegur shopping street. At night, walking past the illuminated facade from the waterfront promenade is one of the most striking views in the city.
