Textasiða, a typography exhibition by graphic designers Snæfríð Thorsteins and Hildigunnur Gunnarsdottir, was on show last month at Crymogea as part of DesignMarch 2012 in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The exhibition comprised large wall-mounted tablets with racks of moveable letters like Scrabble tiles.

The letter blocks come in different sizes and allow the user to rearrange them to create messages and sayings.

The variations in the size of each letter block play with light and shadow, changing as the blocks are moved around. The exhibition also included a hand-bound book of Icelandic birds by Benedict Gröndal Sveinbjarnarson.

The images above were taken with the Pentax K-01 camera designed by Marc Newson, which was kindly given to us by Pentax for the trip. You can also see our architecture tour and studio visits from the trip, or watch an interview with Marc Newson talking about the camera on Dezeen Screen.

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and Hildigunnur Gunnarsdottir appeared first on Dezeen.

Here are some photos from a walking architectural tour of Reykjavik in Iceland, taken while we were visiting for DesignMarch last month.

The first building on the tour was Harpa Concert and Conference Centre situated right by the harbour.

It was designed by Copenhagen studio Henning Larsen Architects and Icelandic studio Batteriid Architects in conjunction with artist Olafur Eliasson.

The facade of the building is made of a steel honeycomb-like framework with glass panes of different colours set within it.

Each pane of glass reflects the surrounding activity within the city and harbour, resulting in the facade appearing to change colour.

The interior is a multi-functional space containing four concert halls as well as a cafe and shop.

This building was published on Dezeen last year after its completion - you can see the story here.

The tour then took us across downtown Reykjavic where we saw a variety of buildings such as the copper-clad Supreme Courts of Iceland designed by Icelandic architects Studio Granda...

...as well as the parliament building and its more recent glass extension (above).

The final building on the tour was Reykjavic City Hall, built on the shore of Lake Tjornin.

At one entrance you walk beside the Lake and on the other pools of water surround the walkway.

The exterior of the building features living moss walls amongst the concrete facade.

The City Hall is also designed by Icelandic architects Studio Granda.

Inside the building is a space for exhibitions, a cafe and offices on the upper floor.

These photos were taken with the Pentax K-01 camera designed by Marc Newson, which was kindly given to us by Pentax for the trip. Watch Newson talk about the design in our interview on Dezeen Screen.

Dezeen also went on a tour of Icelandic design studios while at DesignMarch - see photos from the tour here.

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Last month Dezeen visited a selection of Icelandic design studios as part of DesignMarch in Reykjavik. Here are some photos from the tour taken with the Pentax K-01 camera designed by Marc Newson, which was kindly given to us by Pentax for the trip.

The visit included a tour of Reykjavik Letterpress, a printing studio in the centre of Reykjavik.

The studio is run by graphic designers Hildur Sigurdardottir and Olof Birna Garðarsdóttir.

Both designers left their jobs in advertising to learn the skills of letterpress printing.

Reykjavik Letterpress use traditional methods and letterpress machines to produce their designs.

Their studio contains drawers full of original movable type...

...as well as more familiar letterpress machines such the classic type writer.

The second studio visited on the trip was Toppstodin, a disused power station that has been converted into artists' studios.

Toppstodin houses studios for a variety of creatives, including fashion designers, architects and industrial designers.

All the original machines and equipment of the power station remain in the building amongst the studio spaces.

The final stop on the visit was a lunch and tour of Grettisborg Studios & Apartments run by designers Róshildur Jónsdóttir and Snæbjörn Stefánsson of Hugdetta.

Jónsdóttir's collection of birch furniture was on display at the studio along with her toy construction kit made of fish bones that we previously published on Dezeen.

There are five designers who share the space at Grettisborg Studios, including Gardar Eyjolfsson who showed his Icelandic larch chair.

Read more about design in Iceland here and watch Marc Newson talk about his design for the Pentax K-01 on Dezeen Screen.

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Copenhagen studio Henning Larsen Architects and Icelandic studio Batteriid Architects have completed a concert hall and conference centre in Reykjavík, Iceland, in collaboration with artist Olafur Eliasson.

Panes of clear and colour-coated glass surround a steel framework of twelve-sided modules on the south facade of the Harpa Concert and Conference Centre.

Inspired by basalt crystals, the faceted glass scatters reflections of the surrounding harbour and sky, and presents a glittering wall of light after dark.

A flattened version of this geometry surrounds the other elevations of the building.

Three large concert halls occupy the first floor, including one finished entirely in red, while a smaller fourth hall on the ground floor provides a venue for intimate performances and banquets.

Visitors access the main foyer from a south-facing entrance, while staff and performers enter the backstage area from the north.

The project was featured on Dezeen last year, when it was still under construction - see our earlier story here.

See more projects by Henning Larsen Architects on Dezeen here, and more projects by artist Olafur Eliasson here.

Photography is by Nic Lehoux.

Here are some more details from Henning Larsen Architects:

Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre in Reykjavik gathers inspiration from the northern lights and the dramatic Icelandic scenery.

Situated on the border between land and sea, the Centre stands out as a large, radiant sculpture reflecting both sky and harbour space as well as the vibrant life of the city.

The spectacular facades have been designed in close collaboration between Henning Larsen Architects, the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and the engineering companies Rambøll and ArtEngineering GmbH from Germany.

The Concert Hall and Conference Centre of 28,000 m2 is situated in a solitary spot with a clear view of the enormous sea and the mountains surrounding Reykjavik.

The Centre features an arrival and foyer area in the front of the building, four halls in the middle and a backstage area with offices, administration, rehearsal hall and changing room in the back of the building.

The three large halls are placed next to each other with public access on the south side and backstage access from the north.

The fourth floor is a multifunctional hall with room for more intimate shows and banquets.

Seen from the foyer, the halls form a mountain-like massif that similar to basalt rock 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 main concert hall, reveals its interior as a red-hot centre of force.

The project is designed in collaboration with the local architectural company, Batteríið Architects.

Harpa - Reykjavik Concert Hall and Conference Centre forms part of an extensive harbour development project in Reykjavik, the East Harbour Project.

As the name indicates, the overall objective of the project is to expand and revitalise Reykjavik's eastern harbour with a new downtown plaza, a shopping street, a hotel, residential buildings, educational institutions and mixed industry.

The overall intention is to generate life in the area and to create a better connection between the city centre and the harbour.

Situated outside the city's building mass, the building will become a significant icon in the city - a visual attractor with a powerful and varying expression.

The isolated location will mean that, to a great extent, the changing climatic and light effects will be exposed in the facades of the concert building, often in contrast to the narrow and shady streets in the rest of the city.

Henning Larsen Architects has designed the facade of the Concert Hall in close collaboration with the local architects Batteríið Architects and the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.

As the rest of the building, the design of the facades is inspired by nature.

In particular, the characteristic local basalt formations have provided the inspiration for the geometric facade structure.

Made of glass and steel in a twelve-sided space-filling geometric modular system called the 'quasibrick', the building appears a kaleidoscopic play of colours, reflected in the more than 1000 quasibricks composing the southern facade.

The remaining facades and the roof are made of sectional representations of this geometric system, resulting in two-dimensional flat facades of five and sixsided structural frames.

In order to develop these ideas the team worked with three-dimensional computer models, finite element modelling, various digital visualisation techniques as well as maquettes, models and mock-ups.

Light and transparency are key elements in the building.

The crystalline structure, created by the geometric figures of the facade, captures and reflects the light - promoting the dialogue between the building, city and surrounding landscape.

One of the main ideas has been to "dematerialise" the building as a static entity and let it respond to the surrounding colours - the city lights, ocean and glow of the sky.

In this way, the expression of the facade changes according to the visual angle.

With the continuously changing scenery, the building will appear in an endless variation of colours.

Click above for larger image

Click above for larger image

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by Henning Larsen Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

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

Top & above image © Portus ehf., Olafur Eliasson, and Henning Larsen Architects

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.

Above image © Portus ehf., Olafur Eliasson, and Henning Larsen Architects

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.

Above image © Portus ehf., Olafur Eliasson, and Henning Larsen Architects

The concert hall is due to open in May 2011.

Above image © Portus ehf., Olafur Eliasson, and Henning Larsen Architects

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

Above image © Portus ehf., Olafur Eliasson, and Henning Larsen Architects

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.”

Above photograph by Osbjørn Jacobsen

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.

Above photograph by Osbjørn Jacobsen

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.

Click above for larger image

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.

Click above for larger image

See also:

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Port House Antwerp by Zaha Hadid Architects	Cirkelbroen by Olafur Eliasson	More architecture stories

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