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 irregularly-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.
