Icelandic Inspiration

Part 3 - Harpa Concert Hall

This is a building that I have wanted to see for so long! If you watched the TV series ‘Abstract’ on Netflix you will have heard the artist and designer Olafur Eliason talk about this stunning building which respons to the light and reflects the landscape beautifully.

When I was writing about Iceland last time I talked about how I was fascinated by the dynamic landscape which is constantly changing, not only because of the quality of the light, but also because of the dynamic nature of the forces at play. Somehow, through his sheer genius, Eliason has created a building that is just as dynamic and representative of the landscape around it.

I made sure to experience this incredible place from every angle possible, inside, outside, from the road and from the sea. I saw it as the sun was rising, I saw it bathed in mid-day light. I saw it as the sun was setting, and when it sparkled at night, a beacon in the dark.

I loved the way that the hexagonal basalt columns of the natural landscape had been echoed in this beautiful feature of the built landscape. Not immediately obvious at first, but as I looked more closely and got under the overhanging facade, the geometry became apparent.

When I got home I couldn’t wait to start to respond to this magnificent place. I didn’t imagine for a second that I would be able to ‘capture’ it and truly represent all it’s beauty but I was able to express what it meant to me, both in watercolour and in stitches.