The conference center will not be anonymous; rather, it will be characterized by a richness of local spirit.
A Fine Mesh
’’ BY PEER TEGLGAARD JEPPESEN HENNING LARSEN ARCHITECTS
The convention center of the future will be designed to cater to three main interests: world-class business events, cultural events, and the integration of local spirit. The future conference building will provide the newest high-tech conference facilities for staging major interna-
tional conferences and world-class business events. As a setting for different cultural events, the building will create an open, inviting environment that stimulates community and informal meetings between people. Highly developed logis- tics and an easy-to-navigate layout will help conference-goers choose which zones to dwell in. The building will offer large auditoriums and conference facilities as well as formal and informal meeting places. In addition to the commu- nicative zones, there will be zones offering a high degree of concentration and privacy. This flexibility of larger or smaller —open or intimate—areas not only will ensure the capacity for many different types of events, it also will meet the demands of many different users. The future conference center will also offer luxury hotel accommodations, as well as leisure activities such as wellness
and health treatments, and top-notch dining. A final important feature in the future conference center will be the inclusion of local characteristics and local iden-
tity. The conference center will not be anonymous; rather, it will be characterized by a richness of local spirit, present- ing the conference-goer with features and experiences characteristic to the local environment. Conversely, the conference center will inspire and enhance the surrounding city life, making visible the activities of the building and creating events that mesh with the local society.
PEER TEGLGAARD JEPPESEN is a partner and design director with Copenhagen-based Henning Larsen Architects. Jeppesen’s projects have included the Uppsala Concert and Congress Hall, in Sweden; the Copenhagen Opera House; and the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center, which will open in Reykjavík, Iceland, in spring 2011.
A GRAND ENTRANCE: At left, a sketch of the mainfoyer of the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center.A rendering of the façade appears below.