I stood there for five minutes and admired the building. It is a one-of-a-kind building and makes one ask questions.
So, it has this history.
Back before 2008....when mad money was what all the financial wizards of Reykjavik were hyped up on.....they dreamed up this "World Trade Center" of Reykjavik.
It's hard to say what they were thinking.
It was supposed to be some mega 400-room hotel along the harbor.....a collection of luxury condos.....a new headquarters for the national bank.....along with upscale shops and fancy restaurants.
It was where financial 'giants' of Iceland would bring their clients and sell all kinds of deals.
So came the 2008 banking collapse and the project which had just barely started.....fell into a mess. The country's government made a decision to fund the rest of the cost for the concert hall itself (roughly 160 million Euro).
Today? No one says too much. They handle some conferences, speeches, and a few concerts a year. I would have some doubts that it pays for much of anything. It's more of a monument to the gimmick of financial incompetence in Reykjavik than some concert hall.
If you ask most locals, they will say it's the second most unique building in the city.....after the church. As for it being a waste of money.....I think most of the locals would grin and just nod their head. They wouldn't want to throw any verbal rocks at this glass building.
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