Architect Ólafur Elíasson was inspired by the country’s basalt features when designing the blue-glass façade of Harpa. It became a stunning addition to Reykjavík’s coastline when finished in 2011. The modernistic building serves as a conference center, concert hall and headquarters for the Icelandic Opera and Icelandic Symphony Orchestra. The facility contains four halls with a capacity ranging from the intimate Kaldalón with 195 seats to Eldborg, which can accommodate up to 1,800 people. Original plans called for an adjoining hotel, apartments, retail center and corporate offices. Those plans were suspended during the 2008 financial crisis.
