Icelanders have been discussing the need for building a proper music hall in Reykjavik for over a century. The first music hall in Iceland, Hljómskálinn, was built in 1923 by the pond in Reykjavík. It solved a great need at the time, but is very small by today's standards and is not suitable for larger concerts. During World War II the idea of building a cultural centre, housing at least two concert halls, first emerged and during the following decades several plans were made to build a music centre. However, it wasn't until the 1990's that plans actually started to develop.
The East Harbour Project is born
In early 1999, the Icelandic government and the city of Reykjavík decided to collaborate on the building a music hall and conference centre in down-town Reykjavík. A contract between the state and the city for the construction of a music hall and conference centre was signed in April 2001, stipulating that the development should be a private development and that a private party should be in charge of the design, construction, financing, and running of the centre. The contract also featured the building of an international hotel which should be constructed and run by the same person. Following the signing, the Icelandic state and Reykjavík created the private limited company The East Harbour Company, to start the project.
A year later, a proposal for the demarcation of the lot for the future music hall and conference centre as well as a hotel by the East Harbour in Reykjavík was approved. A competition for the organisation of the lot and the neighbourhood ensued, producing results in early 2002.
The Tender
In 2003 an Information Memorandum for the project was published and in the spring of 2004 The State Trading Centre announced a preliminary selection for the tender on behalf of the East Harbour Company. According to the conditions and specifications for the tender, offers should be made for a 17.000 m²music hall and conference centre, an 18.000 - 20.000 m² hotel, and 38.000 m2² in other buildings that the developers would buy the building rights to allocate as they would see fit.
Four tenders were handed in, all of which were deemed qualified. They were:
- Fasteign/Klasi
Participants: Eignarhaldsfélögin Fasteign hf. and Klasi hf.
Architects: Schmidt, Hammer & Lassen and Teiknistofa Halldórs Guðmundssonar.
Design and consultation: Línuhönnun (Efla), Teiknistofa Halldórs
Guðmundssonar and VSÓ.
Special counsil: Bernard Engle, John Cole o.fl.
Contractor: Ístak/PIHL. - Multiplex
Participants: Multiplex Group and Foster & Partners.
Architects: F&P. Contractor: Multiplex. - Portus Group
Participants: Landsafl hf. and Nýsir hf.
Architects: Henning Larsens Tegnestue and Batteríið - arkitektar.
Design and consultation: Batteríið, HLT, Rambøll, Hönnun (Mannvit) and Hnit.
Contractor: Íslenskir aðalverktakar. - Viðhöfn
Participants: Sparisjóðabanki Íslands, Festing ehf., Eykt ehf. and Höfðaborg ehf.L
Architects: Ateliers Jean Nouvel.
Technical consultancy: Ove Arup Partnership Ltd.
Design: Teiknistofan Óðinstorgi, Ingimundur Sveinsson arkitekt and Eykt.
Project management: Hjörleifur Stefánsson arkitekt.
The Multiplex group backed out in January 2005, while the other three turned in preliminary tenders in May, 2005. The judging panel's statements regarding the three remaining tenders were introduced on June 1, 2005, and following that two applicants were invited to continue and further develop their tenders: The Portus Group and Fasteign/Klasi.
Portus Group wins the tender
Revised tenders were on the table by August 18, 2005 and The East Harbour Project announced the Portus Group as the winner in September 21, 2005. The final two proposals both scored high in the eight categories judges, with the Portus Group scoring higher in 5 out of 8 criterions.
It was the unanimous opinion of the judging panel that the winning proposal was very impressive in all regards, and that the building would become an architectural landmark in Reykjavík. The panel also believed that the company behind the offer was strong and financially stable, the proposal included a system of management that would ensure artistic ambition as well as providing excellent facilities for the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra. It would therefore be in line with the cultural goals of the project. A contract was then signed with the Portus Group on March 9, 2006.
Response to Financial Collapse
Developments were soon under way, and were proceeding nicely when the financial collapse hit Iceland in October 2008, bankrupting the financial backers of both the Portus Group and Situs, which was in charge of constructing the concert hall and conference centre and the building rights in the surrounding the area.
Following a considerable revision of the project, both the State and the City agreed that developments must continue, and it was decided that The East Harbour Company would take over the project.
A letter of intent was signed on February 19, 2009 and all plans were modified so that there would be no need for any further financial support from either the State of Reykjavík city, that is to say other than that which had already been provided for in 2004 when the development began. The East Harbour Company became the owner of Portus and Situs, along with all building rights on the lot of Austarbakki 2 in 2009. A contract in this regard was signed on March 31 in 2009, and an agreement for the continuing financing of the project was at the same time ensured An agreement was also finalized between The East Harbour Company and the contracting firm IPC (Islenskir aðalverktakar) regarding the development up until the end of the project, building mostly upon former deals but with a change in the time frame, and some amendments, possibilities in saving, and other means necessary to ensure a satisfactory result.
It was estimated that the construction would be finished in February 2011, and operations in the house to begin in the spring of 2011. This plan has mostly held. Although The East Harbour Company has taken over the development, this is only meant to be a temporary arrangement. The East Harbour Company and its subsidiaries will continue to work on the overall development of the area, with the goal of ensuring the conditions of operation of the concert hall and conference centre, and to support local businesses as well as tourism in the area.