Concept proposal for Architectual book

HARPA — Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre

Henning Larsen Architects, Batteriid Architects, Olafur Eliasson, Artec and others

4

Contents

OPENING ..........................................................................6 STONE / GLASS .................................................................10 CITY / OCEAN ...................................................................44 EARTH / LIGHT .................................................................86 earth light

SOUND / CONSTRUCTION ...................................................124 CONCERT / CONFERENCE ...................................................164

5

6

Opening

Olafur Eliasson and Henning Larsen Architects are both well-known for their special interest in light. Henning Larsen Architects uses light to create atmosphere and space in architecture while Olafur Eliasson brings light into his art installations as a study of – and play with – the spectator’s meeting with the surroundings.

Olafur Eliasson and Henning Larsen Architects met for the first time in connection with the building of the new Opera in Copenhagen where they both served as consultants to the client, the A.P. Møller Foundation.

The daylight in Iceland has unique qualities and, together with the magnificent landscape, it creates an outstanding setting to be found nowhere else.

Harpa’s combination of art and architecture makes its facade an integral part of the structural design of the building. The skin encloses the black concrete walls of Harpa’s interior structure, leaving a promenade space between the severity of the concrete and the elegant playfulness of the glass.

In 2005, they joined forces in connection with the international competition for Harpa - Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre. The team was selected as Working with architecture has given me winner of the competition with a project greatly inspired the opportunity to explore ideas that by the contrasts of the Icelandic scenery. An important are extremely important to peoples’ part of the project was the development of the unique understanding of and interaction with quasi brick facade - a three-dimensional structure of their surroundings” steel and glass capturing and fine-tuning the light so Olafur Eliasson, Artist it reflects the city, sky and surrounding landscape.

During the course of a day, the movement of the sun Created as a rock but carried out in glass. from east to west will be reflected in the facetted south Daylight is a central theme in architecture. It influences facades, alongside life in the city. Depending on the weather and the time of day, the reflection and transpaour senses and puts focus on life and the present rency of the facades will make explicit the influence of moment. Light emphasises the spectator's experience natural light on the perception of the building. of being present in the moment at this specific place.

7

Visions of a New Cultural Scene Harpa - Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre will constitute a striking addition to the Icelandic and European cultural scene. By marrying the most important classical music and performance venue in the country with an international conference centre, Harpa will offer a diverse range of performances, from classical to contemporary music.

As a landmark in the redevelopment of Reykjavik's historic harbour and waterfront area, Harpa will be the symbol of Iceland's renewed dynamism. Harpa will serve as a tourism and business hub, providing flexible facilities for programmes and international events.

Additionally, Harpa will be home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and The Icelandic Opera.

The building gets its name from the English name of a string instrument.

In Iceland, the word refers to the name of a month in the old Nordic calendar marking the beginning of summer, a period of particular importance in Iceland.

In addition, Harpa is also a common girl's name in Iceland.

8

Our vision was to build a centre with first–class conditions for the entire music scene and the facilities to stage major international conferences and business events.�

Portus Group

Behind the Scenes In 1999, Reykjavík City authorities and the Government of Iceland announced the plan to build a national concert and conference centre. One year later, the site for the centre was demarcated in the eastern part of Reykjavík Harbour.

In 2004, an international competition was launched for a project comprising the new Harpa - Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre and a masterplan for the development of the new urban area in the eastern part of the harbour.

The competition was carried as a PPP competition and, given the complex conditions of the project, no more than four partnerships were able to tender for the project - among these the newly established cooperative, Portus Group.

Portus Group consists of Henning Larsen Architects, artist Olafur Eliasson, the local architects Batteriid, Artec acoustic Consultants, the contracting company IAV, the operating company Nysir, the private investor Landsbanki and the three engineering companies Rambøll, Greiner and Mannvit.

In August 2005, Portus Group was selected as winner of the competition. The other teams participating in the competition were Schmidt Hammer Lassen from Denmark, Norman Foster from England and Jean Nouvel from France.

9

Harpa’s outer shell is structured in glass prisms, so-called quasi bricks imitating the prehistoric geological basalt formations shaped by lava meeting glaciers�

Peer Teglgaard Jeppesen, Architect & Partner Henning Larsen Arcitects

10

11

Essay A Monolith Engaging in Dialogue with its Surroundings

Harpa – Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre is inspired by the basalt formations along the Icelandic coast. The varied tableaus where land and sea meet – the lapping of the waves wetting and colouring the basalt granolith.

The meeting between the massif and the sparkling clear crystal is the focal point of the building. This is where the transformation takes place – from nature to culture, from heaviness to lightness, from inaccessible to open.

A kaleidoscopic choreography of glass and steel adorns the facade leaning towards the harbour square. Glass clad structures in three dimensions. The hexagonal shape of the quasi brick exposed and re-exposed in the double-reflecting facade formations.

Eliasson’s play with colour and transparency. Nature brought into the building – nature given something back. A triumphant cranes' mating dance for the spectator.

A cut through the quasi brick brings forward the other facades. Lets them become a mesh of continuously changing angles and geometrical patterns.

The play with form and foundation – a smooth transition from nature to metaphor.

A work of art activated by its surroundings: nature’s own decorative transformation.

12

QUASI BRICK The iconic structure of the quasi brick

13

Process The Quasi Brick Facade

WORKSHOP Olafur's Studio, Berlin

The quasi bricks on Harpa’s southern facade are constructed in 3D with reference to the prehistoric geological formations of basalt stone common to Iceland.

The southern facade is composed of 823 units of quasi bricks. Almost all bricks are custom-made.

The principle for the remaining facades and roof derives from sectionalised, twodimensional variants of the brick.

THE CUT A cut through the quasi brick mass results in sectionalised representations providing an impressive tapestry of two-dimensional flat facades

By cutting into the mass of quasi bricks at different angles, four different patterns appear. The two-dimensional facades thus represent a study of – or play with – the quasi brick.

FACADE MEETING The meeting of the east and west facade

18

OLAFUR ELIASSON The facade is clad in glass representing a variety of different shades and colours

My contribution to the Icelandic National Concert & Conference Centre constitutes part of the research and experiments with spatial geometric building systems taking place in my Berlin studio�

Olafur Eliasson, Artist

19

20

CHANGE OF LIGHT Erection of the northern facade

21

44

45

Harpa - Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre in winter

The idea was to establish a dialogue with the city as well as with the surrounding landscape�

Olafur Eliasson, Artist

46

Essay Nature Reflected

Situated in Reykjavik on the border between land and sea, Harpa - Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre stands out as a radiant sculpture reflecting both sky and harbour space as well as the vibrant life of the city. As the decisive focal point in an ongoing development of the eastern harbour in Reykjavik, Harpa will become a significant icon in the city - a visual attractor with a powerful and varying expression, exposing the changing parts of the day and year.

The characteristic small houses of the Icelandic capital are in marked contrast to the overwhelming landscape of erupted volcanoes, icy glaciers, roaring sea and unspoiled land. In the midst, representing both the contrast and contact between culture and nature, a remarkable building stands out.

The entire foundation is made of black sand stretching like a carpet from the shopping street to the harbour plaza and all the way to the interior parts of the concert building. The black surface emphasises the cohesion and identity of the area as well as stresses the contrast between the different shades and colours in the buildings. Furthermore, it underlines the contrast between the hard, basalt-like mountain block dominating the building’s inner halls as opposed to the

light and cheerful foyer clad entirely in glass.

Harpa takes its beginning a long time before visitors step into the foyer. By exposing life within the building and reflecting everything that goes on around it, the atmosphere of the building and the city will merge.

Consequently, Harpa is more than an architectural icon.

It constitutes an urban development that not only provides a framework for concertgoers or conference participants. It offers something to all citizens and visitors in ReykjavĂ­k.

With the development of the eastern harbour, the city will get an entirely new, attractive area in direct contact with the scenery, ocean and mountains of Iceland. Further, it will provide a new framework for the public life of the city - on the plaza in front of the building or in the open facilities situated within or adjacent to it.

Seen from the foyer, the halls form a mountain-like massif that - similar to the basalt rock formations on the coast - forms a stark contrast to the expressive and open facade. At the core of the rock, the largest hall of the centre, the concert hall, reveals its interior as a red-hot centre of force.

47

THE MASTERPLAN SITE The industrial character of the harbour will be replaced by a new cultural venue. The more spacious surroundings will provide a strong contrast to the narrow streets of the rest of the city.

52

Process The Masterplan, East Habour Project

Harpa - Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre forms part of an extensive harbour development in Reykjavik with the overall aim to expand and revitalise Reykjavik’s eastern harbour.

The project comprises a 85,000 m²

masterplan, including a number of significant cultural and mixed-use buildings: The 29,000 m² Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre, a big five-star hotel and wellness centre, an academy of fine arts, a bank domicile, a cinema, a new shopping street and a new urban plaza.

In addition, the plan comprises a number of residential and commercial buildings along the fjord.

The objective has been to generate life in the area and create a better connection between the harbour and city centre by providing the harbour space with attractors and mixed facilities.

53

54

A ROCK IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN Harpa appears as a cut out piece of the Icelandic bedrock and rises as a dislodged, protective rock in the North Atlantic.

55

72

73

86

The Icelandic Pavilion in Venice In 2005, Henning Larsen Architects and Olafur Eliasson joined forces to design the Icelandic Pavilion, Islanda, for the architectural biennale of 2006 in Venice.

The pavilion comprised an exhibition of the ideas and elements of the Harpa Concert and Conference Center presenting also the vast inspiration from the contrasts in the Iceland’s nature.

The Icelandic scenery recurs all through the exhibition concept, from posters, bags and logos to facade modules in the height of a man. Additionally, the exhibition included an interactive model of the Concert and Conference Centre with special sound effects incorporated in the mock-up.

The Iceland Pavilion was singled out by the Biennale Jury for an outstanding collaboration between the artist Olafur Eliasson and the architectural office Henning Larsen.

87

ZOOMING IN From afar, the individual quasi bricks fade into a more homogeneous surface, its scale is blurred. When you move closer, the bricks assume contours, thereby making visible your distance and speed.

78

Colour and Light During the course of a day, the movement of the sun from east to west will be reflected in the facetted south facades, alongside life in the city. Depending on the weather and the time of day, the reflection and transparency of the facades make explicit the influence of natural light on the perception of the building.

Varying light conditions will accompany the activities in the house: an opera may be performed in full daylight on a summer night; a children's concert may take place in the darkness of an early winter afternoon.

In order to respond to this natural variety, a number of the quasi bricks are fitted with a special dichromatic glass that reflects hues of either green, yellow or orange and their complementary colours.

At night, strips of red, green and blue LED lights integrated into the bricks will illuminate the facades. The colour and light intensity of each brick can be individually controlled, generating the full colour spectrum. In the foyer, kaleidoscopic shadows are projected onto the walls and floor, creating an almost crystalline space. This notion of the crystalline is an evocative yet precise metaphor for Harpa as a house for cultural activities.

It will be a space where ideas are crystallised into form, sounds into feelings, feelings into actions and actions into life.

79

The facade consists of a simple form, a space filler called the quasi brick a stackable, twelvesided module in steel and glass.

74

75

Space and Construction

Over the years, I have been inspired by shapes and patterns made by nature. Iceland is rich in unique natural phenomena such as the crystallised basalt columns of which the quasi brick is reminiscent.

In addition, the uniform size of the three dimensional bricks used on Harpa's south facades facing the city relate to that of the human body. Where ordinary bricks prescribe standard building principles and dimensions, the quasi brick opens up to new ways of conceiving space and construction due to its form.

I think of the facade as a skin or a border that mediates between the interior of the building and the city and reflects the negotiations between the inside and outside. It activates the eye so that people moving in and out of the building experience a visually changing facade.

From afar, the individual quasi bricks fade into a more homogeneous surface, its scale is blurred. When you move closer, the bricks assume contours, thereby making visible your distance and speed.

The brick has a transparent and light appearance and is the only material used for the facades. It meets the structural and functional requirements, resulting in facades that, as a contrast to the monolithic interior of Harpa, are both light and expansive. In order to achieve a lively yet subtle modulation, the bricks of the two southern facades are differently inclined, both leaning slightly towards the city.

West elevation

Elevations PLANS, SECTIONS + ELEVATIONS |179

76

77

the facade is conceived as a skin or a border that mediates between the interior of the building and the city AT DAYTIME ď § During the course of the day, the movement of the sun from east to west will be reflected in the facetted south facades, alongside life in the city.

80

Contrast and Interplay

Harpa’s combination of art and architecture makes its facade an integral part of the structural design of the building.

About 10 percent of the quasi brick facade is covered with coloured or reflective glass. The skin encloses the black concrete walls of Harpa’s interior structure, leaving a promenade space between the severity of the concrete and the elegant playfulness of the glass.

Standing inside the building and looking outside at the sea or downtown area, spectators will think they are looking through coloured binoculars.

81

SOUTHERN FACADES The bricks of the southern facades are leaning slightly towards the city.

SECTIONAL CUT A sectional cut through the building reveals the inner massif.

84

Art and Architecture

EAST ELEVATION The building is elevated to the east providing a roofed town square for the employees.

East elevation

The crystalline network of glass and steel on the facade is the result of a unique collaboration between artist and architect. The play of light in the glass activates the building surface and, in the evening, the light from within illuminates the city and surrounding landscape.

The facades and roof are designed as a continuous and complete element with only a few contact points to the interior building. To achieve a continuous whole, each of the geometric figures is shaped and placed in a way that makes them form a both mathematical and structural unity.

As geological slices of the three-dimensional quasi brick, the two-dimensional facade patterns have been transformed into prefabricated constructive units, which can be built together. Each quasi brick is made up of twelve different steel sections and cast steel corners and constitutes a prefabricated cell mounted on site by means of hidden bolts.

The bricks are 2.1 metres high while the facade structure as a whole is 30 metres high.

Selected glass panels on the north and south facades are fitted with so-called dichroic glass – a filter glass, which is a silver ionisation that each glass panel is dipped into up to twenty times. The result is an opposing colour spectrum that, in daytime, provides a warm glow when you look inside the building from the outside. In the evening, it creates a cool nuance when you look outside from within.

85

88

earth light 89

90

91

FACADE STRUCTURES In Harpa, the glass facades capture and break the light in endless variations like a diamond. This creates experiences both inside and outside the building.

92

Essay A Beacon of Light

The glass prisms in the front facade capture and reflect the light, mirroring the day and the seasons like a ‘calendar of light’. With the continually changing landscape, the building will reveal itself in an endless variety of colours - from glowing red to indigo blue.

In order to achieve the desired play and reflection in the glass, Olafur Eliasson and Henning Larsen Architects carried out careful studies of the sun’s movement in Reykjavik. To accomplish further details, Olafur Eliasson carried out studies in his studio of how the light would affect the glass of different shadings and colours.

The studies of light have influenced the layout of the building in many ways. The foyer is oriented towards the city, thereby affording a fascinating kaleidoscopic play of shadows when observed from the city.

Illuminated from behind, the transparency and vibrancy of the glass facades will provide a contrast to the heavier inner volumes of the four halls.

Combining the artistic and architectural ideas, the facade has a coherent yet varied appearance in constant dialogue with the surroundings.

The building will not appear as a frozen setting but rather as an active, dynamic figure reflecting the weather, the sun, the city and the changing parts of the day and the year. As the sun accentuates the details in light and shadow, the building will allude to the warm golden colours of glowing lava or to the ice blue glaciers of winter providing the spectator with a sensuous feeling of continuous change.

At night, strips of red, green and blue LED lights integrated in the bricks start illuminating the facades.

Conceptually developed by Olafur Eliasson, the colour and light intensity of each brick can be individually controlled, thereby generating the full colour spectrum. In the foyer, kaleidoscopic shadows are projected onto the walls and floor, creating an almost crystalline space.

By staging the Concert Hall as an active, vibrant element in connection with the city, a gathering point reaching out to its surroundings is achieved.

During the day, by means of its outward functions and, in the evening, as an active, luminous stage in the city where the interior of the building and city life are united.

93

Process Scenery of Light and Smoke

The plaza in front of the Concert & Conference Centre is designed to generate a unique atmosphere, drawing on evocative references to the water of the thermal springs, the colours of the mineral deposits and the landscape shaped by lava streams.

The vivid reflections of the water will stage an elusive interplay between the mirrored and the real, offering a sensuous experience to visitors and passers-by.

The surrounding restaurants and cafés will serve the guests, who – when the weather permits – can enjoy a coffee or a meal with magnificent views of the sea and the mountains.

With its eventful use of light and water the plaza will provide a natural link between the sea, the Concert Hall and Reykjavik city.

96

THE ELEMENTS OF THE PLAZA The building design is inspired by the characteristic Icelandic landscape. The black sand has provided the inspiration for the dark surface on the front square and the building foyer.

COLOURS OF THE LANDSCAPE The foyer reflects the conceptual idea of the building – a robust inner cliff meeting the powerful spindrift of the sea or geyser. In the main foyer, the hall space is dominated by the light and transparent facades reflecting their patterns in a shower of colour, light and shadow.

97

98

CHANGE OF LIGHT The light wall is a reflection of the changing colours of the natural light in Iceland. The design is based on a 24-hour recording of the sky in Iceland, which is compressed into an installation of one hour. The wall was designed by Olafur Eliasson for the presentation of Harpa - Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre at the Venice Biennale in 2006.

99

124

125

THE CONCERT HALLS ď Š The concert halls are designed for a multifunctional use and features flexible light and acoustic amenities.

126

Essay A Musical Centre of Force

The acoustics and technical facilties of Harpa have been developed by the world renowned Artec Consultants Inc, designers from the Jazz at Lincoln Center space, the Bartók Béla National Concert Hall in Budapest, Sala São Paulo and the Culture and Congress Centre in Lucerne, Switzerland. Harpa will thus join the ranks of the most prestigious international concert halls in the world.

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 facilities. The rehearsal area and conference hall offer a variety of set-up possibilities with their movable stages and flat floor spaces.

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 programmes. For decades, Reykjavik has been waiting for this new hall and its addition to the city´s energetic musical life.

In situ cast concrete is used as the all-embracing material for the main music auditorium. This solid material is known for its beneficial properties in terms of acoustics.

Harpa will provide outstanding facilities for all types of music and the framework associated there within. The halls vary in size, and all facilities are equipped to the highest standard.

The main concert hall, the largest of four in Harpa, can accommodate up to 1,800 people. A spacious entrance hall is located on both the first and second level and is the ideal space for exhibitions, large banquets and receptions.

To highlight the transition from the foyer to the main concert hall, a red-lacquered birch veneer covers all vertical surfaces. When entering the hall, the visitor will experience a warm thrilling effect as a contrast to the more prosaic atmosphere in the foyer.

The dynamic composition of the walls is enhanced by the lighting and neutral appearance of the floors, ceiling and sides of the reliefs.

127

Frieze of inspirational elements and materials

Passing the dark and sound absorbing barriers, the visitor will enter into the building’s heart: a crater of light, sound and colour” Ósbjørn Jacobsen, Architect & Associate, Henning Larsen Arcitects

136

WALL STRUCTURE A red-lacquered birch veneer covers all vertical surfaces. The unique wall structures are inspired by the movements and colours of the northern lights and the specific demand for excellent acoustics.

Process The Heart of the Building

Architects and engineers formed a close and intensive collaboration to meet both the acoustic and aesthetic requirements.

The main ambition was to build a modern, unique and festive concert hall adaptable for a wide variety of events.

A number of acoustic specifications were outlined by the American acoustic engineer Artec. Two of these dictated that the concert hall should be designed in the shape of a shoe box and surrounded by reverberation chambers.

The halls are all designed for a multifunctional use with flexible light and acoustic amenities. The conference hall is equipped with retractable ranks of seats.

The choice of materials in the halls is based on the wish to create a unique atmosphere in each hall while at the same time obtaining coherence between them.

137

138

REINFORCEMENT OF CONCRETE SLAB The complex concrete structure of the main concert hall necessitates a reinforcement of the concrete slab. In order to meet the strict acoustic requirements, a very special and complex structure is needed .

139

164

165

Our vision was to build a centre with firstclass conditions for the entire music scene and facilities for staging major international conferences and business events” Ósbjørn Jacobsen, Architect & Associate, Henning Larsen Arcitects

CONFERENCE AND NATURE Because of its geographical location midway between North America and Europe, Iceland has a tremendous advantage when it comes to holding conferences and meetings.

166

Essay A Multi Purpose Arena

Harpa – Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre comprises both concert and conference facilities. This combination is unique as all facilities can be used for both purposes.

The building's three main halls are placed next to each other with public access on the south side and backstage access from the north. The halls have independent identities and at the same time form part of the overall conception of the building.

banquets and cabarets. A large foyer balcony to the west affords the opportunity for guests to enjoy the evening sun during intervals.

The rehearsal hall is located on the second floor between the music hall and the conference hall. The floor is flat, which makes it possible to hold a variety of events such as standing concerts, sitting down events, exhibitions, banquets etc.

The characteristic black and red interior of the halls echoes the powerful volcanoes. In one of the smaller halls, visitors will find a study of the northern light. All halls share the objective of creating an ambiance that contrasts with that of the foyer.

The reverberation space within the halls can be adjusted according to the individual event but is designed with musical events in mind as all the other halls in Harpa. Balconies surround the hall and the stage is removable. Two doors connect the rehearsal hall to the conference hall so both halls can be used simultaneously. A large window between the rehearsal hall and the foyer let in natural daylight.

The conference hall is multifunctional and may be divided into smaller sections. It may be used by itself or in combination with the banqueting area and rehearsal hall for large events. The flat floor space, retractable stands and flexible grid in the ceiling provide the opportunity for a wide variety of events – from rock concerts to conferences, exhibitions,

With its more intimate size, the fourth hall is intended primarily for smaller ensembles, chamber music, singing and jazz. It is located on the first floor and may also be used for conferences. The walls in this room are clad in a combination of acoustic banners and panels similar to those in the rehearsal hall. The hall can be set up in a number of ways with a removable stage. Seating is

The Icelandic landscape is present everywhere.

167

FOURTH HALL The fourth hall is located on the first floor and is well suited for all kinds of chamber music, singing and jazz.

Seating capacity: 195 people.

Conference hall Two doors connect the conference hall and the rehearsal hall, allowing for simultaneous use for larger events.

The conference hall contains a balcony, moveable stage and removable seating.

Capacity: 1,100 people standing.

190

Rehearsal hall: 450 persons Conference hall: 750 persons

Concert hall: 1800 persons

Process Concert , Conference and City

Harpa – Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre is designed to cater for three main interests: the multi-faceted music scene in Iceland, world-class business events and the expansion of city life in Reykjavik.

The vision for Harpa was to create a generator for the entire music scene on Iceland. The concert hall will feature a diverse musical programme appealing to many different tastes. In addition, the centre will be the official home of the Iceland symphony orchestra.

Fourth hall: 200 persons

Harpa is designed with excellent scope for accommodating conferences, conventions and meetings of various sizes. The Conference Centre will be located adjacent to a 400 room luxury hotel and the two will be connected by an enclosed walkway.

The masterplan will bring new urban facilities to the waterfront, providing the city life of Reykjavik with fresh scope.

191

192

CONNECTING ZONE The plaza in front of the building will be a compelling transitional area between the ocean, city and Harpa. On special occasions, the plaza can be used for fĂŤtes, open-air film shows, rock concerts, national day gatherings etc.

193

HARPA BOOK CONCEPT — In August 2011, an exceptional architectural and artistic manifestation will be completed.

The façade of HARPA — Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre is the result of a historic collaboration between the world renowned Danish–Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and international architectural company Henning Larsen Architects.

Harpa captures the contrasts of Iceland and features a world–class concert hall. It stands out as a luminous sculpture on the border between land and sea.

Olafur Eliasson and the team of architects and engineers have collaborated on developing the unique quasi brick facade consolidating the Icelandic landscape, the change of the seasons, Harpa and the city. Shaped as a rock but carried out in glass.

BOOK PROPOSAL

CONCEPT

The project team wishes to contribute to the publishing of an international book on Harpa. The book will describe the entire process — from the first visionary ideas on bringing together harbour and city, people and art, trade and aesthetics to the concrete solutions realised by architects, engineers and craftsmen.

The fascination of the contrast between light and shadow is a driver for oth artist and architects. It is always the starting point when working in the field of architecture.

The design of Harpa is based on the meeting between contrasts, which is the main principle behind the architect and artist’s approach to the project. In this contact, new visions and creative solutions are created.

The following pages constitute a visual proposal for a book concept. The layout and text have been prepared for this purpose alone and do not represent the final book design.

Author, final concept and layout are determined in collaboration with the publishing house. Estimated size: 224 pages, approx.

350 illustrations, large format, hardbound.

Contrast/Contact is also the main principle behind the six chapters of the book. Each chapter (theme) is introduced with an essay; the idea is that this could be written by an internationally recognised author in the final book. In continuation of each essay, spectacular illustrations supported by quotes by the involved parties further contribute to describing the process.

Contact person: Lars Erik Strandberg, lars@strandbergpublishing.dk, tel. +45 4074 8780