Harpa

Exploring Reykjavik would not be complete without checking out another architectural gem that is Harpa, Reykjavik's concert hall.

Harpa: http://en.harpa.is/harpa
Harpa Guided Tour: http://en.harpa.is/access/harpa-guided-tours
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpa_%28concert_hall%29

I initially wanted to go to one of their guided tours, but unfortunately we couldn't find a slot to accommodate it. Luckily, the building is open to public till midnight, so we decided to swing by on the night after touring the Golden Circle.



Parking was easy at night. There are open parking lots near Harpa. Harpa was beautifully lit at night. I would say it actually looks much better at night. The facade looked like it was made up of lots of hexagonal panels joined together like an elongated beehive. But after some Googling, it appears that it's much more complex than that.

Interview with the designer: http://www.domusweb.it/en/architecture/2011/09/08/eliasson-s-kaleidoscope.html

Too bad the shot was blur. It was really beautifully lit at night.

We casually strolled into the building. It was pretty much empty, except for some folks hanging about the hall entrance on the top floor. My guess was there was some private function in the hall at the time. As such, we didn't check out the inside of the concert hall. Nevertheless, the lobby area was impressive enough. Sporting a gleaming modern look, Harpa definitely contrasts with the other mostly Beaux-Art style concert halls in the States or Europe.

Hexagonal mirror panels as the ceiling. How cool is that.

The uber cool futuristic lighting of the facade up close.

One last shot of the exterior.

Checking out Harpa was a good break from all the usual Iceland touristy stuff. Instead of soaking in the wonders of nature, it was a chance to soak in the beauty of human design and engineering. If you enjoyed Seattle's Public Library when visiting Seattle, then this is a must do.

Laugavegur 

Laugavegur is a popular street in Reykjavik that is lined with retail/souvenir shops, cafes, restaurants and bakeries. It is like the main street of a town in the US. This is where most tourists do their shopping in Reykjavik. One note about souvenir shopping: If you plan to check out Reykjavik's mall, Kringlan, for souvenir shopping, I would say Laugavegur is still the better choice. There really isn't anything special about Kringlan. It's just another mall similar to any mall you would find in the States or anywhere else in the world really. I think Kringlan is more for locals to do their shopping, rather than for tourists. Kringlan is not worth checking out unless you have plenty of time to kill.



Back to Laugavegur, the street is just 2 blocks away from Hallgrímskirkja church, so one can easily walk from there as part of the trip. Otherwise, there are also parking lots on streets parallel to Laugavegur.

Even if you are not into shopping, it's still worth a stroll down the street to get a taste of main street Iceland. There were some interesting murals and shops that caught my eye.

The amazing Chuck Norris Grill!

Interesting wall art

Giant puffin guarding a souvenir shop

Inside a souvenir shop along Laugavegur.