Harpa is Reykjavik‘s newest and most distinguished landmark. With daily tours, you can see the award-winning architecture of this building up-close!
You can’t visit Reykjavik, Iceland without noticing the Harpa. It’s the huge gleaming structure on the waters edge that at first glance looks like a distorted rubrics cube. Essentially it’s a conference center and concert hall, although that just makes the building sound so…dull. And this building is anything but dull.
Recently completed in 2011, the Harpa is an architectural masterpiece, and is truly unlike any other building in the world. Outfitted with tens of thousands of LED lights, this building literally comes alive with color in the evening, as colors and patterns move across the entire facade of the building. It's almost hypnotic to watch!
The inside of the Harpa Concert Hall features large geometric windows that look out over the waterfront, giving you amazing views of Reykjavik, Iceland. During the day, the large geometric windows at the Harpa Concert Hall fill the building with natural light making it a great place to relax in after taking in the sights of Reykjavik.
As the sunsets over Reykjavik, the beauty of the Harpa Concert Hall can truly be appreciated as it's glass facade reflects the sunlight in an awe-inspiring way. But for a truly spectacular show, be sure to visit the Harpa Concert Hall at night, when the facade is illuminated with thousands of LED lights that move across the building.
“As the sunsets over Reykjavik, the beauty of the Harpa Concert Hall can truly be appreciated as it’s glass facade reflects the sunlight in an awe-inspiring way. ”
Music At The Harpa Concert Hall
But this building isn't just about beauty, it's also highly functional. The Harpa is home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, so it's not uncommon to see performers wander the halls, and often times even preparing for a performance! The Harpa Concert Hall is also a great place to hear live music, as It has been outfitted with the best in musical equipment and technology, making concerts a pulsating experience.
Dining At The Harpa Concert Hall
Should you find yourself at Harpa in the evenings, be sure to check out one of our favorite restaurants, Kolabrautin, tucked away on the top floor. It features delicious Italian food, and gives you some draw dropping views over downtown Reykjavik.
Visiting The Harpa Concert Hall
The truth is, this building is a piece of art. So take a few minutes or a few hours and visit Harpa. It’s free to enter, just walk in and take look around or a participate in one of the numerous activities and events they have going on. Even if music or architecture isn’t your thing, I promise you’ll leave with a bit more appreciation for the creativity and logistics that went into constructing Harpa.
Each day Harpa offers behind the scenes tours and we highly recommend taking one, as they are highly informative, and you get to see places which are otherwise closed to the public. And if you're lucky (like we were), you might just get your own personal concert from one of their performers!