If we are going to talk about the most beautiful building in Iceland, there is no contest, it would definitely be the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre. Interestingly, I have found that most buildings in Iceland, including Reykjavík’s tallest building, Hallgrímskirkja, are inspired by the country’s natural landscape and the Harpa Concert Hall is no exception.
I am a fan of huge windows and I instantly fell in love with Harpa’s glass facade. This building was designed by Ólafur Elíasson.
“Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson designed the south facade, and developed the principle for the remaining north/east/west facades and roof in collaboration with Henning Larsen Architects and Batteríið Architects. Elíasson deploys light, colour and natural phenomena to test how physical movement, sensual engagement, and the interaction of body and brain influence our perception of our surroundings.” –Harpa Concert Hall website
I also love the ocean so the building being so close to the sea complete with a mountain view is just the cherry on top. The building is definitely as beautiful on its interior as its exterior.
Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre houses the Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera.
Wow that concert hall is gorgeous!! Love the intricate window, haven’t seen anything like it!
Love the interiors, especially the glass facade. Did you just visit the building to explore the interiors or did you watch opera or some concert there ?
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I love the quirkiness of this building, really stands out and feels like it makes a statement.
The Harpa Concert Hall looks like such a beautiful building. Can’t wait to visit Iceland and see it in person.
I went there as well actually. Impressive, right? I thought it somehow was extraordinarily emblematic of the surroundings of the city, yet it maintained its own vibe. It seems like we were both big fans of the big windows as well!