When Harpa Concert Hall opened in 2011, it was met with anger and dismay as the fallout from the banking crisis still roiled Iceland. Now, the honeycombed glass structure, which doubles up as a conference centre, boasts an approval rating of over 70% among locals and is a main attraction for foreign visitors who come to visit Reykjavik. 

As it celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, Svanhildur Konráðsdóttir tells fDi how the concert hall has gone from being perceived as a symbol of greed to a source of pride and why the added dimension of being a conference centre has proved so successful.

This episode was recorded in August 2021.