Reykjavik News
Concert and Conference Centre Receives New Name
The new Icelandic National Concert and Conference Centre, scheduled to open by Reykjavík Harbour in spring 2011, will henceforth be called "Harpa".
Harpa was the winning name following a naming competition open to the public. More than 4,000 name entries were received and 54 entrants suggested the name Harpa.
Harpa means harp in Icelandic, thus refering to the future purpose of the building of housing music events of all kinds. It is also a popular girls’ name and the name of one of the months according to the old Icelandic calendar, which runs from late April to late May in the modern calendar.
About the Icelandic National Concert and Conference Centre - Harpa
Harpa will house a centre for music, culture and tourism in the best location in the capital of Iceland. It will create the best conditions for Iceland’s continually expanding musical life and will be the home of The Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Furthermore, it will include top rate conference facilities.
The Centre will be 28.000 square meters (258.000 sq ft) in size and 43 meters tall (141 ft). The largest concert hall will take up to 1,800 people and the largest conference hall up to 750 people. In addition there will be various types of music halls, meeting rooms and a spacious exhibition area.
The design of the building is influenced by the impressive and dramatic Icelandic landscape. Nature is an endless source of colours: from glowing red to indigo blue, with variations from roaring ocean with white-foaming waves to a still, glassy sea.
More information about the Icelandic National Concert and Conference Centre can be found here.
Exhibition
Visit Reykjavík is hosting an exhibition on the new Icelandic National Concert and Conference Centre. The exhibition is located on the ground and first floors of the Reykjavík Tourist Information Centre, Adalstraeti 2. It gives guests a preview of what this important building will look like. A mock-up of artist Olafur Eliasson's glass facade is on display, together with models of the building and computerised images of the planned concert and conference halls. The exhibition is open every day 9:00-23:00 and is free of charge.
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