After 10 years, residents of Hamburg, Germany have finally witnessed the opening of its newest concert hall, Elbphilharmonie. This beautiful, ostentatious building is now the tallest inhabited building in Hamburg and boasts as one of the most acoustically advanced concert halls in the world.
If you gaze at it from the outside, the whole building is shaped like a hoisted sail, with wave-like structures and shimmering glass façade. It is designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, and because of its impressive construction and design, Elbphilharmonie is now one of the most Instagrammed places in Hamburg.
Aside from being a concert hall, Elbphilharmonie also houses a 4.5 Westin Hotel where important guests can use as accommodation. A residential complex is also inside with over 45 apartments, a multi-level parking garage, and a public viewing plaza.
For 6 years the construction of Elbphilharmonie have been delayed due to legal disputes, but that didn't stop the residents and tourists alike to look forward to its grand opening. On November 4 last year, a viewing platform was opened to the public, and since then it has received over 500,000 visitors.
There are several concert halls inside the building with the Grand hall being the largest. It can seat over 2,100 guests. Other concert halls include a much smaller shoebox-style recital hall that can seat 550 guests, and a studio space fit for 170 guests only.
If you're already in love with the building's impressive architecture and interior design, then you'll be speechless once you hear the orchestra play in their music halls. Herzog & de Meuron enlisted the help of Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota to provide the perfect acoustics inside the music halls, which gives every guest a smooth listening experience. Over 10,000 pillowy sound panels made of plaster and recycled paper are utilized to provide the perfect acoustics needed, each of them measured very carefully to avoid any off-sound escapes.
A total cost of $825M was spent to build this new cultural landmark of Hamburg, but everyone is very pleased with it. Jacques Herzog of Herzog & de Meuron said: "The design is not analogous to just one thing - it isn't just water or boats or sailing. People can see different things in it, and that's really what we want: for visitors to be able to find their own perspectives and experiences here."
"As an architect, you are dealing with something for many years and it becomes very personal - it's like a love affair. And then it's over, and you have to let it go. The satisfaction then comes from knowing that the space is a special experience that will work for so many other people."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
