Harpa Concert Hall wins the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award 2013
Harpa, the Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Iceland, is the winner of the 2013 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award the European Commission and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation announced today. Designed by Henning Larsen Architects, Batteríið Architects and Studio Olafur Eliasson the building has helped to transform and revitalise Reykjavik harbour and brought the city and harbour district closer together. The ‘Emerging Architect Special Mention’ award goes to María Langarita and Víctor Navarro for the Nave de Música Matadero (Red Bull Music Academy) in Madrid, Spain. The award ceremony will take place on 7 June at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona, coinciding with the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the prize. More information after the break.
Pixel Cloud Installation / UNSTABLE
Designed and directed by Iceland based architect Marcos Zotes and his studio UNSTABLE, their Pixel Cloud installation is the winning competition entry for the Reykjavik Winter Lights Festival 2013, organized by Höfuðborgarstofa, Orkusalan and the Iceland Design Center. The installation creates an opportunity for Icelanders to reconsider the use and management of their urban public spaces. With the current financial situation leaving a permanent landscape of obsolete scaffolding structures scattered across the city, this has resulted in urban scars that remind us of the fragility of their current society. This installation takes advantage of this condition by transforming an ordinary scaffolding structure into a fully immersive environment of light and sound in the heart of Reykjavík. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Culture Center / Arkitema Architects
Architects: Arkitema Architects
Location: Akureyri, Iceland
Design Team: Arkitema and Arkthing
Client: Akureyri Municipality and the Icekandic Ministry of Education, Science and Culture
Area: 7,400 sqm
Year: 2010
Photographs: Courtesy of Akitema
Vigdis Languages Center Proposal / OOIIO Architecture
Designed for the “Vigdis Foundation”, the Languages Center aims to be a rational building, where modulation is a key aspect. Designed by OOIIO Architecture, there is no architectural excess that might increase the budget, but quite singular and special at the same time, comfortable for users and interesting enough to get the pedestrians attention. Built to host exhibitions, a cinema-theater, café, library, and more, the construction of the building is efficient, quick and with a rational materials use. More images and architects’ description after the break.More images and architects’ description after the break.
Video: Sigur Rós – Varúð by Ryan McGingley
As part of the ‘Valtari’ Mystery film experiment of the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, the video for Varúð was released few days ago. Directed by Ryan McGingley, it shows New York in a magnificent way as we architects would like to move around.
In his own words… “this piece is my poem to New York City. I wanted to bring a childhood innocence to the streets, through a character whose own light and wonder effects the world around her. I’m always interested in an atmosphere where dreams and reality mingle on equal terms.”
Ice House / Minarc
Architects: Minarc
Location: Reykjavik, Iceland
Project Year: 2011
Project Area: 1,500 sq ft
Photographs: Torfi Agnarsson
AD Round Up: Architecture in Iceland
If Eyjafjallajökull volcano and Björk sound familiar to you, probably you know something about the amazing Iceland. So for today’s AD Round Up we have our first selection dedicated to this secluded country architecture. In the main image is Snaefellsstofa Visitor Center by ARKÍS architects. Check out the interesting Geothermal Pump Stations designed by PK Arkitektar or the Hof Residence by Studio Granda, a house located in Skagafjörður fjord, less than 100km from the Arctic Circle. Look again at Superstring, a proposal for a new type of structure for the high-voltage electric transmission in Iceland from korean architect Yong ho Shin. Finally revisit the impressive Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre by Henning Larsen Architects & Batteriid Architects.
Stöðin / Krads
Architects: Krads
Location: Borgarnes, Iceland
Project Year: 2012
Project Area: 4.84 sqm
Photographs: Kristinn Magnússon
Female Prison / OOIIO Architecture
Based on natural light, open spaces and greenery such as peat, grass and flowers, the proposal by OOIIO Architecture for the Female Prison in Iceland dismisses the dark spaces, small cells and grey concrete walls typical of a traditional prison. The construction will be economical and efficient while not giving off the appearance of a typical penitentiary and increasing a sense of freedom. More images and architects’ description after the break.
VillaLóla / ARKÍS architects
Architects: ARKÍS architects
Location: Akureyri, Iceland
Size: 128 sqm
Completion: 2010
Photographs: Courtesy ARKÍS architects
Rafmognud Nattura / Marcos Zotes
New York-based architect and artist Marcos Zotes, together with his multidisciplinary team of collaborators, transformed the largest church in Iceland, Hallgrímskirkja Church, into a spectacular and interactive light installation titled “RAFMÖGNUÐ NÁTTÚRA”. More images and architect’s description after the break.
Video: Harpa Concert Hall / Henning Larsen Architects and Olafur Eliasson
Designed by Henning Larsen Architects and Batteriid Architects, the Harpa Concert Hall was one of the finalists for Building of the Year. On the border between land and sea, the Center stands out as a large, radiant sculpture reflecting both sky and harbor space as well as the vibrant life of the city. This is all very elegantly represented in Pedro Kok‘s video which gives us more insight to the building from multiple viewpoints.
Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre / Henning Larsen Architects & Batteriid Architects
Architects: Henning Larsen Architects & Batteriid Architects
Locations: Reykjavik, Iceland
Client: Austurnhofn TR – East Harbour Project Ltd.
Project Year: 2011
Project Area: 28,000 sqm
Photographs: Courtesy of Henning Larsen Architects
Icelandic Institute of Natural History / ARKÍS architects
Architects: ARKÍS architects
Location: Gardabaer, Iceland
Project area: 3,500 sqm
Project year: 2010
Photographs: ARKÍS architects, Vigfus Birgisson
Snaefellsstofa Visitor Center / ARKÍS architects
Architects: ARKÍS architects
Location: Egilsstaðir, Iceland
Owner: Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður – Vatnajökull galcier
Project area: 750 sqm
Project year: 2010
Photographs: Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson
Geothermal Pump Stations / PK Arkitektar
In 1990 Reykjavík Geothermal Heating Authority launched an open competition for a housing design for the hot water wells. PK Arkitektrar’s provided the winning design out of over 80 entries. This is the first of these buildings with others scheduled accordingly. These structures will stand as a symbol of the city of Reykjavík’s commitment to the utilization of the natural resources.
The Geothermal Pump Station is a 14 sqm steel structure (3 by 6.5 meters) constructed of two stainless steel clad curvilinear walls separated by a door at each end. It prefabricated at an off site shop and transported in one piece to a hot water well. The building houses the mechanism on top of the well, that pumps the water to a central control from where it is distributed throughout the city.
More about this interesting project, drawings, photographs, and history of Reykjavík’s change to geothermal heating following the break.
Architects: PK Arkitektar
Location: Reykjavík, Iceland
Design Team: Pálmar Kristmundsson and Björn Skaptason
Consultants: Fjarhitun Engineers
Project Area: 14 sqm
Project Year: 1996 to date
Photographs: Spessi, Rafael Pinho, and Pálmar Kristmundsson
Munkasteinn / PK Arkitektar
Architects: PK Arkitektar
Location: Þingvellir, Iceland
Design Team: Pálmar Kristmundsson
Consultants: VK engineers
Project area: 90 sqm
Project year: 2001 – 2003
Photographs: Rafael Pinho
Superstring / shindesignworks
Korean architect Yong ho Shin shared with us his second prize design for the “Landsnet High-Voltage Transmission Line Tower Design Competition” in Iceland. More images and architect’s description after the break.
In Progress: Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center / Henning Larsen Architects
We were excited to hear from Henning Larsen Architects and pass on their news that the much anticipated Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center is nearing completion in Reykjavík, Iceland. Working in close collaboration with Danish-Icelandic artist Olaf Eliasson and American Artec Consultants, the combined forces of art and architecture have resulted in an aesthetically and technically stunning building. Conceptually, the building is all about the glass façade -which seems to be gracefully lowered onto the building- and the interplay of spaces that occur between the glass.
More images, a great video and more about the project after the break.
Iceland Pavilion for Shanghai World Expo 2010
Iceland Pavilion for Shanghai World Expo 2010 was designed by Plús Arkitektar. The concept for the Icelandic Pavilion is to create the image of an ice cube made of backlit printed fabric on the exterior that captures the complex ice patterns that are only visible within a glacier.
More images and architect’s description after the break.
Birkimörk Halfway House / PK Arkitektar
Architects: PK Arkitektar ehf
Location: Hveragerði, Iceland
Client: Ministry of Social Affairs
Design team: Pálmar Kristmundsson and Bernd Kolb
Consultants: ÞB verkfræðistofa og Verkfræðistofan TERA sf.
Construction Supervisor: VST – Verkfræðistofa Sigurðar Thoroddsen hf. Selfossi
Site area: 1,560.8 sqm
Constructed area: 430 sqm
Project year: 2006-2007
Photographs: Rafael Pinho & Helge Garke
