Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre
Your Meeting Place in Reykjavik
Harpa is one of Reykjavik‘s greatest and distinguished landmarks. It is a cultural and social centre in the heart of the city and features stunning views of the surrounding mountains and the North Atlantic Ocean. Harpa is an enchanting destination for intrigued travelers and its grand-scale award-winning architecture has attracted 7 million guests since its opening, May 4, 2011.
Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre offers the best facilities for concerts and conferences in Northern Europe. Harpa has received numerous awards and prizes. Harpa was chosen one of the best concert halls of the new millennium by the prestigious music magazine Gramophone magazine and was chosen the best performance venue in 2011 by Travel & Leisure magazine.
The Name – Harpa
The name was made public on 11 December 2009. Harpa was the winning name out of 4,156 proposals entered by 1,200 citizens. The demand was that the name should be in Icelandic but easily articulated in most languages.
The name Harpa has more than one meaning. It is an old Icelandic word that refers to a time of year and is in fact a month in the old Nordic calendar. The first day of that month is celebrated as the first day of summer and marks the beginning of a brighter time where nature comes to live and the colors of the environment sharpen. Harpa also refers to the instrument that refers to the activities and operations within. In the opinion of some, Harpa looks likes a drawn harp from a certain angle.
In autumn 2012, Harpa received the prestigious award as the Best MICE Centre in Northern Europe.
Harpa is designed by Olafur Eliasson, Henning Larsen Architects and Batteríið Architects. Harpa has won multiple awards for architecture, including Mies van der Rohe in 2013, Best public space – Arkitekturmassan Awards 2012 and World Architecture Award 2010.