Harpa

Were you eagerly waiting for the ultra-modern touch of the route? Well, we can definitely say you’re in for a treat! Made entirely of glass and steel, the Harpa has positioned itself in just a few years as one of Reykjavik’s most iconic buildings. Looking at it, you have to admit it has quite a few impressive features. First, there’s its perfect waterfront location that almost makes it appear to float. Then there’s the design which, more than just spectacular, has become the building’s signature. The facade you’re standing in front of has no fewer than 10,000 windows of all different sizes. The dimensions might seem random, but they were completely intentional, created by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and the Danish architecture firm Henning Larsen, who gave us this gigantic masterpiece. Put together, these pieces of glass create a honeycomb-like effect that’s reminiscent of the basalt columns that dot Iceland’s landscape. You know, those volcanic formations made up of more or less regular prisms, often divided into sections by cracks or lava flows. It’s already stunning in photos, but seeing it in person – well, we’ll let you imagine how incredible that is. Throughout the day, through the seasons, and with the changing light on the water, the Harpa’s beauty is timeless. And it’s almost unbelievable to think it nearly didn’t get built at all. The building was originally meant to be part of a much larger project commissioned by the banks. The apartments, shopping center, restaurants, and other complementary structures couldn’t be completed due to the 2008 financial crisis. As a result, only the Harpa, the first building in the area under construction, emerged from the ground in 2011, after four years of slow-paced construction work. A complicated start, but it’s been made up for by consistently stable and profitable operations. Because yes, we haven’t mentioned this yet, but the Harpa houses four concert halls, a restaurant, a bar, and a shop. All of this in an interior setting that’s just as photogenic as the exterior.