Impressive proscenium stage for Reykjavik‘s new WE-EF LEUCHTEN GmbH & Co. KG concert hall Toepinger Strasse 19 D-29646 Bispingen WE-EF zoom and gobo projectors create theatrical-like lighting Germany conditions at the forecourt of the Harpa concert hall and confe- Tel. +49 5194 909-0 rence centre in Reykjavik.
[email protected] www.we-ef.com The Harpa concert hall and conference centre was opened in May 2011. Covering approximately 28,000 square metres, the complex is home to a concert hall with 1,800 seats, two conference rooms, a hotel, re- staurants and various event rooms. With its sculptural building form and spectacular glass facade, the 43-metre high building situated in the old harbour of Iceland‘s capital is drawing considerable attention. Every night, the large Harpa forecourt is illuminated by an eye-catching light that sets the mood for visitors while on their way to the building. Artist Ólafur Elíasson and the architects from Henning Larsen firm of Copenhagen designed honeycomb-like glass elements for the facade that present enormously powerful effects in terms of design. As a re- sult of the dichroic coating on the glass elements (yellow, orange and green) and their special configuration, the outer shell of the concert hall changes colour depending on the exposure to light or the angle of vision. While the glass elements discreetly display their actual colours, that changes when looking directly through the glass - the respective complementary colours appear in the reflection, lending a glistening and dazzling look to the Harpa‘s outer shell.