Harpa, Reykjavik at night

Harpa is a concert hall and conference centre located in Reykjavík, Iceland, on the city’s eastern harbour area at Austurhöfn. It opened in May 2011 and is one of Reykjavík’s most prominent cultural landmarks. The building serves as the home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera, and it hosts a wide range of concerts, conferences, exhibitions, and public events throughout the year.

Harpa was designed by the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects in cooperation with Batteríið Architects, an Icelandic architectural studio. Its distinctive glass façade was developed in collaboration with Icelandic-Danish artist Ólafur Elíasson and is inspired by the geometric forms of basalt columns commonly found in Icelandic nature. The façade consists of a complex arrangement of colored, quasi-brick glass modules that reflect the changing light and weather conditions of Reykjavík.

Construction of Harpa began in 2007 but was temporarily halted following the Icelandic financial crisis of 2008. The project was later completed with support from the Icelandic government and the City of Reykjavík. Since its opening, Harpa has played a central role in the city’s cultural life and urban redevelopment. In 2013, the building received the Mies van der Rohe Award for contemporary architecture, recognizing its architectural and cultural significance.