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The Nordic Self-Guided Travel APP is now available on the App Store (Photo provided / Photographed by Lin Zhiheng, MOOK Editorial Department)
Harpa: Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre
After the opening concert on May 4, 2011, the dazzling glass facade lights of “Harpa” have shimmered beautifully every night along the Reykjavik harbor. This seems to symbolize a beacon of Iceland’s recovery and prosperity after emerging from economic bankruptcy.
“Harpa” is Iceland’s newest concert hall and conference center, designed by the internationally renowned Danish architectural teamHenning Larsen. Prior to this, they had already completed successful projects such as the Copenhagen Opera House in Denmark and the Malmö City Library in Sweden. This time, they collaborated with Danish-Icelandic visual artist Olafur Eliasson, putting special effort into the installation art—especially the geometric, undulating glass panels that resemble ever-changing kaleidoscopes. At night, they become the most radiant luminous bodies in Reykjavik’s sky, aside from the Northern Lights.
Designer: Henning Larsen Architects (Photo provided / Photographed by Lin Zhiheng, MOOK Editorial Department)
Today, it is home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and Opera House, with a total offour halls, the largest of which can accommodate 1,800 spectators.
There are two restaurants here—one is theMunnharpan café on the first floor, perfect for a coffee, drink, or light snack before a concert; the other is Kolabrautin on the fourth floor, where you can enjoy Icelandic specialties while taking in the harbor view. In addition, there are three shops: 12 Tónar selling Icelandic music, Epal offering Nordic design gifts, and Be Inspired, a bookstore and flower shop.
Copenhagen Opera House
Completed in January 2005, this opera house was designed by Danish architect Henning Larsen. As it is built on an artificial island in the middle of the canal, it looks like an ellipsoidal sphere wearing a graduation cap when viewed from across the water. From another angle, standing on the pier next to the opera house and looking at it obliquely, the square metallic flat roof at the top transforms into a triangular shape slicing through the sky, creating a highly dynamic visual effect.
The main facade of the opera house features a curved glass curtain wall. At night, the giant circular crystal chandelier hanging in the lobby shines brightly against the reddish-brown walls of the performance hall. Up close, it exudes the grandeur of a national-level performance venue; from across the water, it resembles the playful charm of a spinning kaleidoscope.
Designer: Henning Larsen Architects (Photo provided / Photographed by Zhou Zhiping, MOOK Editorial Department)
Royal Library
Everyone describes this library, completed at the turn of the century, as a “black diamond.” Its black granite façade glows under the rare blue skies of the Nordic region during the day, and at night, thanks to the reflections of the canal water and the deliberate interior lighting, it shines like a giant diamond illuminating the city.
This Royal Library is actually the new building, constructed between 1995 and 1999, designed by the well-known Danish architectural team Schmidt Hammer Lassen. The entire structure is trapezoidal, tilting forward toward the canal pier, with a deliberately placed diamond-shaped glass curtain wall in the center. During the day, it brings natural light into the library, and at night, the lights projected from inside create one of the most beautiful night scenes along the canal.
The entire library has seven floors and offers not only book lending but also a bookstore, restaurants, cafés, and research centers. The “Queen's Hall,” which can accommodate 600 people, serves both as an arts and cultural performance venue and a conference hall.
Designer: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects (Photo provided / Photographed by Lin Zhiheng, MOOK Editorial Department)
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