The Icelandic National Concert & Conference Centre and hotel
The Icelandic National Concert & Conference Centre in Reykjavik will house a centre for music, culture and tourism in the best location in the capital of Iceland. It will create the best conditions for Iceland’s continually expanding musical life and will be the home of The Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Furthermore, it will include a top rate conference facility closely connected to a 400 room luxury hotel.
The Concert and Conference Centre project is a public private partnership (PPP) between Austurhöfn-TR and Portus.
Austurhöfn-TR is owned 54% by the Icelandic State and 46% by the City of Reykjavík and was established to co-ordinate efforts of the project and its principal promoter.
Eignarhaldsfélagið Portus hf. is the owner and operator of the Icelandic National Concert and Conference Centre but the project is supported by the Icelandic State and City of Reykjavík with a fixed annual contribution during the contract period which is 35 years.
The prominent artist Ólafur Elíasson designed the building’s outer shell. One of Eliasson’s key interests is the dialogue between the individual and his surroundings, and this project reflects his success, creating the potential for exchanges between the building and the people living in Reykjavik, the city itself, as well as the surrounding landscape and weather.
The main designer of the Icelandic National Concert & Conference Centre is the architectural firm Henning Larsen Architects A/S, in Copenhagen, Denmark in co-operation with Batteríið Architects in Iceland. The firm has gained a reputation for superb designs, such as the new Copenhagen Opera House.
The world known US consultant company Artec is responsible for acoustics, sound isolation, and design of theatre, light and sound equipment.
The renowned conductor and virtuoso pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy is a special artistic advisor regarding music for the first 3 years of operations. The classical music and management agency, HarrisonParrot in London, is an advisor for overall artistic direction efforts.
IAV hf., Iceland Prime Contractor Ltd., is the principal contractor of the whole project.
