REYKJAVÍK | Verkefni og framkvæmdir | Projects & construction

[Bjarki]

Pretty futuristic. The guy seems to have something against windows though.

[ramblersen]

From Dezeen;

Harpa by Henning Larsen Architects

A concert hall and conference centre by Henning Larsen Architects in collaboration with artist Olafur Eliasson is under construction in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Called Harper, building will accommodate four concert halls, the largest of which will accommodate up to 1,800 people, plus exhibition and meeting halls, shops, meeting rooms, a viewing balcony, bar and restaurant.

Eliasson collaborated with the architects to design the south facade, with glass bricks reflecting colours from the surroundings by day and illuminated by LEDs at night.



The concert hall is due to open in May 2011.



Here’s some more information from the architects:


HARPA

REYKJAVIK CONCERT HALL AND CONFERENCE CENTRE

OFFICIAL OPENING ON 4 MAY 2011

DESIGN BY HENNING LARSEN ARCHITECTS, ARTEC CONSULTANTS INC AND OLAFUR ELIASSON

BUILDING NEARING COMPLETION




29 June 2010, Reykjavík, Iceland: Pétur J. Eiríksson, Chairman of Portus, announced today that the official opening and opening concert by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at Harpa, Reykjavík’s new Concert Hall and Conference Centre, would take place on 4 May 2011. The opening concert will be conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy. On 14 May 2011, Harpa will stage a grand opening program featuring a diverse range of music events and many of Iceland’s most prominent musicians. This program will be broadcast live on Icelandic National television.

Designed by Henning Larsen Architects with acoustics by Artec Consultants Inc and a façade by Olafur Eliasson in collaboration with the architects, Harpa is to become home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera, and thus a major addition to the Icelandic and European cultural scene. It will also serve as a tourism and business hub, providing flexible facilities for programs and international events. The façade was designed by Olafur Eliasson in collaboration with Henning Larsen Architects. With acoustics conceived by Artec Consultants Inc, one of the most reputable experts in the field, and equipped with the most technologically advanced sound, staging and presentation systems also designed by Artec, the 28,000 square-meter (301,000 square-feet) complex will be a striking landmark in the redevelopment of the historic harbour and waterfront area, and a symbol of the country’s renewed dynamism.Henning Larsen Architects also consulted with Batteríið Architects to conceive the building. The main contractor is ÍAV.

“It is with great anticipation that we have seen the building and its magnificent façade emerge on the skyline,” remarked Eiríksson. “Now that it is nearing completion, we can feel the energy it will bring to the city and how it will strengthen Reykjavík as one of the most attractive capitals in Europe.”



Harpa is expected to become a hub in the city’s vibrant music scene and to attract an audience of culture, architecture, and art enthusiasts as well as major international business and trade events. Based on a cooperative model, it will allow for a mix of large conventions, receptions, concerts, exhibitions and public programs that can all happen simultaneously. It will also be home to restaurants with direct views across the harbour.

The opening artistic program will be announced in the autumn of 2010 and will offer a diverse range of performances, from classical to contemporary. It is being developed under the guidance of artistic adviser Vladimir Ashkenazy and international consultant Jasper Parrott. Harpa is run by Portus and Ago, administrative structures which respectively own and operate the building and its programs. Pétur J. Eiríksson is the Chairman of Portus and Thorunn Sigurdardottir, the former Director of the Reykjavík Arts Festival, is the Chairman of Ago. Managing Director for both companies is Hoskuldur Asgeirsson. Portus and Ago are owned by the Icelandic state and the City of Reykjavik through holding company East Harbour.

Harpa’s name comes both from the name of the string instrument and the ancient Icelandic name of a month in the old Nordic calendar, which marks the beginning of summer, a period of particular importance in Iceland.




Harpa’s logo was designed by The Icelandic Ad Agency and consists of a ring of outstretched tuning forks. It finds its roots in a classic and universal symbol of music arranged in a way that also resembles the sun or a snowflake. The circular arrangement calls to mind people coming together and represent the 12 months of the year, while the forks’ colours symbolize the colours of the different halls.

The Building

Located on the harbour between the city centre and the North Atlantic Ocean, Harpa will become one of the city’s defining landmarks. According to Henning Larsen Architects, “the inner structure of the building shapes its key functions. Seen from the foyer, the halls form a massif with the Main Concert Hall as its red-glowing centre. This inner massif contrasts the expressive and open façades, thereby generating a dialogue that defines Harpa’s public space, continued in the square in front of the building. This will be realised in dark shades to juxtapose the crystalline exterior. The surroundings are thus incorporated into the architectural concept. As Harpa takes its beginning long before visitors step into the foyer, the activities of this cultural institution are merged with city life.”

The Façade

The multi-faceted glass façade by artist Olafur Eliasson in collaboration with the architects is based on a geometric principle, realised in two and three dimensions. Reminiscent of the crystallised basalt columns commonly found in Iceland, the southern façade create kaleidoscopic reflections of the city and the striking surrounding landscape. Natural light is a key element, dramatically altering the transparency, reflectivity, and colours of the facades as the weather and seasons change. The quasi bricks of the south facades contain LED lights in different hues that make Harpa glow long after the sun has set. The brightness and colour of each module can be controlled and adjusted as needed. The assemblage of the façade is already under way and will be completed in late summer 2010.




The Facilities

Throughout the design process, emphasis has been placed on giving Harpa enough versatility to host large and intimate events simultaneously and without interference with one another. Harpa’s facilities, which offer some of the most technologically advanced equipment available, are thus capable of accommodating everything from large conventions, concerts, and exhibitions to smaller banquets and meetings.

With acoustics design and technical facility planning provided by the world renowned Artec Consultants Inc, designers of the Jazz at Lincoln Center space, the Bartók Béla National Concert Hall in Budapest, Sala São Paulo and the Culture and Congress Center in Lucerne, Switzerland, Harpa will join the ranks of the most prestigious international concert halls in the world, as a prominent member of Artec’s family of halls. In addition to hosting an array of international music events, Harpa will also become home to the esteemed Iceland Symphony Orchestra and Icelandic Opera, both known for their professional artistic programs. Reykjavik has been waiting for decades for this new hall and its addition to the city´s energetic musical life.

The main concert hall, the largest of four in the Centre, is capable of accommodating up to 1,800 people. A spacious entrance hall is located on both the first and second levels and is the ideal space for exhibitions, large banquets, and receptions. There are two meeting halls on the first level as well as various smaller meeting rooms. Additional amenities include boutiques, a viewing balcony, a bar and restaurant with direct views across the harbour, a ground-floor bistro, catering, and underground parking options.

http://www.dezeen.com/2010/07/01/har...%a0architects/

[Minsk]

Originally Posted by ramblersen

From Dezeen;



http://www.dezeen.com/2010/07/01/har...%a0architects/

It's very beautiful

[status]

I liked

[Bjarki]

Reconstruction of the wooden houses on the corner of Lækjargata and Austurstræti is now finished. These houses on the most prominent street corner in the city were destroyed in a fire in 2007. The oldest house that was destroyed in the fire was built in 1801 to 1802 and originally housed the office of the Danish king's representative in Iceland. After the fire it was decided to accurately rebuild the houses. The corner house was lifted a bit though to make a more usable ground floor.

A picture from 2004 of the corner.




The fire in 2007.

The ruins after the fire.

During rebuilding. The house on the right is the recreation of the oldest house that was lost.

The corner now after rebuilding. Looking better than before the fire.

[muster]

Cool! Is this an exclusive shopping street or something?

[Bjarki]

That location has been more known for restaurants, cafes and night clubs. At least before the fire. One of the goals of the reconstruction was to "class up" this very visible corner.

[Vitacura]

Nice street!

[Singidunum]

The corner house wasn't reconstructed accurately at all, now there is a whole new floor that wasn't there before, ground floor is completely different, corner windows do not match, they've added balconies and so on - it's safe to call this a brand new house unrelated to the previous one.

[Bjarki]

Originally Posted by Singidunum

The corner house wasn't reconstructed accurately at all, now there is a whole new floor that wasn't there before, ground floor is completely different, corner windows do not match, they've added balconies and so on - it's safe to call this a brand new house unrelated to the previous one.

The new house is actually closer to the original drawings than the one that burned down (except for the added ground floor).

[Bjarki]

Revision of the master plan for Reykjavík city is ongoing. The planning committee has laid out three different general plans about how the city should be developed in the coming decades with different emphasis on densifying the city or building new suburbs. They have released different visions for how the city might look in 2050.


Urban areas within city limits in 2010.


Plan A. 75% of new housing units are built in older parts of the city. The domestic airport is removed.


Plan B. 50% of new housing units are built in older parts of the city. The domestic airport stays in place.


Plan C1: 25% of new housing units are built in older parts of the city. The domestic airport stays in place. Most new development in suburbs.


Plan C2: All new development takes place in new suburbs.

[Þróndeimr]

nice, let's hope for Plan A

[Galro]

Yes, I agree with that. Reykjavik don't strike me as city that needs more suburbs.

[Bjarki]

Option A makes the most sense by far economically and environmentally but will be politically difficult because of the airport. Reykjavík definitely does not need more suburbs. I remember a recent study of the rent market in the city which suggested that developers have been building the wrong kind of dwellings for the last years. There is a great demand for smaller apartments in central locations but the only development lately seems to be in the form of huge apartments and detached houses on the fringes of the urban area.

[Bjarki]

The largest project byr far in Reykjavík for the near-future is the expansion of the national hospital. The hospital is currently run in 60-something locations around the city with a lot of inefficiency. The plans to combine its operations in a single location date back decades but it has now come to the point where the city has to approve of the zoning plan for the area. It is massively controversial. Many people feel that the development is too dense, that there is not enough parking spots, that the surrounding streets will be gridlocked with the additional traffic and so on. On the other hand, traffic isn't really a problem unless 85% of the staff continue to arrive to work by private car like the current situation is.

To me, the controversy is symbolic of the growing pains that Reykjavík is experiencing. Much of the city was planned and built in the automobil age after the 1960s so it's a sprawly car-centric place more like what you expect to find in North America rather than Europe. It worked fine for a few decades, but as the city grows, so does the traffic volume to a point where you can no longer add new lanes in central parts of the city. From now on, it has to grow denser to stay livable.

[utlendingur]

how is Reykjavík going to grow denser and leave the car at home with the shitty transportation system we have and the nasty weather?

[Galro]

No offense intended, but that hospital masterplan looks denser and more "city-like" than your actual downtown. I like it.

[Bjarki]

Originally Posted by utlendingur

how is Reykjavík going to grow denser and leave the car at home with the shitty transportation system we have and the nasty weather?

Transit is a dynamic thing that imrpoves with denser development as demand for it goes up. The weather isn't particularly nasty, we hardly get winters any more.

[Erhan]

Hotel in Reykjavik
http://www.ooiio.com/projects/hotel-reykjavik/

Status: Design Development.
Location: Reykjavik, Iceland.
Area: 4.500 m2.
Design: OOIIO Architecture.
Team: Joaquin Millan, Belen Gomez, Javier Urrutia, Kristinn R. Olafsson, Gema Lopez, Marta Cacho.
Client: Private.

In Reykjavik, Iceland capital they wanted to build a big new hotel in Ingolfstorg, a public existing plaza in Kvosin, the city historical center, very close to the Iceland Parliament.

The program was asking for a way too big building that couldn´t work well with the existing city pattern. There are no big buildings on this area.

OOIIO Architecture team decided to break the big hotel into 2 hotels. This decision make all the program to work much better, not only because the size of the buildings is more suitable with the historical center, also because the client could build now the buildings in different phases, and if he wants, use building A as a 5 stars hotel and building B as a 4 stars hotel, so the scheme is more flexible for its economical benefits.

The proposal is a combination of a good and functional hotels, restaurants and shops, mixed with very contemporary public areas, opened to the city of Reykjavik, looking forward to become a new city attraction. This combination public + hotel and commercial will definitely become a great profit for both, city and the hotel developer client.

To attract even more public to this new building-open space, OOIIO Architecture decided to design a light-patio installation on the center of the main building, that combined with the ground excavation, generates a great contemporary space able to be used as a cultural platform for the local or international artist, where they can project any kind of light performance. It will become a space similar to what it is now Times Square for New York or Piccadilly Circus to London, but in a new format and on a adequate scale to Reykjavik.

[Erhan]

Female Prison Iceland
http://www.ooiio.com/projects/female-prison-iceland/

Status: Design Development.
Location: Reykjavik, Iceland.
Area: 9.000 m2.
Design: OOIIO Architecture.
Team: Joaquin Millan, Belen Gomez, Cristina Vicario, Lourdes Martinez, Javier Urrutia, Kristinn R. Olafsson, Ignacio Jimeno.
Client: Icelandic Government.

We started this project with the team asking people who live and work in the establishments what it felt like. The conclusion was that the worst thing about living in a correctional facility is the feeling that you are actually in one. As a result, this design does not look like a typical penitentiary.

The structure is based on natural light, open spaces and greenery such as peat, grass and flowers. It dismisses the dark spaces, small cells and grey concrete walls typical of a traditional prison. Instead of containing the functions in a singular building, this breaks into several tiny and more human scaled pavilions. The program is complex, similar to a small village, with a hospital, schools, church and theater, all working precisely at the same time.

The structure hosts three different types of inhabitants: prisoners, workers and occasional visitors. Each of the users have a very specific circulation and area where they can or cannot reside in. The design resembles the cogs of a large watch, a building like a gear assembly, were all the pieces must be on the right place to make it efficient and functional, but with the best possible relation to natural light and exterior views, to increase the feeling of freedom.

Using prefabricated concrete panels the construction will be economical, and efficient. The system will allow everything to be built on a short time line, with low carbon emissions. Covering the building with a thick peat layer, a vernacular design typical of Iceland, will let grass to grow over the structure to capture a natural facade. It will generate an ecological isolation method needed for the harsh weather of the country.

The exterior uses metal cages containing peat that can be moved and placed on the site. The containers would plant different local flowers and grass to generate a green wall in a contemporary method. This prefabricated construction will change with the season, making life in the prison less monotonous and more human with an emphasis on nature.