Harpa

Harpa

The Reykjavik audio-guided tour offers its most modern touch with Harpa. All glass and steel, this concert hall and congress centre has become, in just a few years, one of the most representative buildings of the Icelandic capital.

A signature facade

Ideally located on the seafront, near the old harbour, Harpa seems almost to float on the water. Its facade, made of nearly ten thousand panes of glass of all sizes, is the work of the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and the Danish architecture firm Henning Larsen. Inaugurated in 2011, the building quickly became the architectural signature of Reykjavik and a symbol of its cultural renewal.

What there is to see

The glass facade, which changes its reflections with the light and the Icelandic sky, is a spectacle in itself, by day as by night. Inside, Harpa hosts concerts, congresses and events; the hall and its plays of light can be seen freely. Home of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the venue is a high point of the capital's cultural life.

Practical information

Harpa is on the seafront, near the old harbour of Reykjavik. The hall and the facade can usually be seen freely during opening hours; access to concerts and events is ticketed, with programming, hours and prices that vary. It is best to check the programme in advance.

Who designed Harpa ?

Its facade is the work of the artist Olafur Eliasson and the Danish firm Henning Larsen; the building was inaugurated in 2011.

What can you do at Harpa ?

You attend concerts and events there, or freely discover the hall and its glass facade of ten thousand panes.