The Halls

The vineyard-style architecture means that no member of the audience sits further than 30 metres from the conductor in the Grand Hall. The music literally takes centre stage.

The Grand Hall’s wall panelling is called the »white skin«, in reference to the 10,000 gypsum fibre panels that make up the surface of the walls and ceiling. It reflects the sound into every corner.

The foyers of the Grand Hall, ranging over many floors, reflect the building’s overall architectural concept: they offer fascinating glimpses into the various levels around the concert hall as well as great views of the port and the city.

This is home to the Elbphilharmonie’s extensive music education programme, with concerts and workshops for all age groups. Pop and jazz concerts are also held in Kaistudio 1.

The Elbphilharmonie as we see it today is the work of architects Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron and Ascan Mergenthaler. Their studio also designed Tate Modern in London, the Allianz Arena in Munich and the Olympic Stadium in Beijing.

The »Tube« is one of the Elbphilharmonie’s architectural highlights: from the main entrance, the 82-meter curved escalator leads up through the old warehouse.

Visitors can enjoy a unique 360° panorama over the port and the city from a height of 37 meters. Whether you’re a Hamburg local or a tourist, a concertgoer or hotel guest, the viewing platform is perfect for a stroll with a view.

Yasuhisa Toyota is one of the world’s most renowned acousticians. Besides the Elbphilharmonie, he was also responsible for Suntory Hall in Tokyo and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

Curved and printed facade elements transform the Elbphilharmonie into an enormous crystal that reflects the lights and colours of the sky, the water and the city.

The Elbphilharmonie’s roof structure gets its unique elegant lines from eight large, curved surfaces. 6,000 shimmering sequins fitted on the roof produce impressive light reflections.

With 19,000 square metres of storage space, the »Kaiserspeicher« at the tip of »Kaiserhöft« is the largest warehouse in the port.

The City of Hamburg takes the decision to blow up the ruins of the badly damaged Kaiserspeicher. A new warehouse is erected on the site. Like its predecessor, the new Kaispeicher A is geared to storing goods such as cocoa, tobacco and tea.

The warehouse has been standing empty since the 1990s. In 2003, Hamburg project developer Alexander Gérard commissions architects Herzog & de Meuron to design a new concert hall on top of the old Kaispeicher. On 2 April 2007, the foundation stone is laid.

The preparations for gutting the Kaispeicher A begin. The 1,111 existing piles anchor the Kaispeicher A in the river Elbe. The foundation of the Elbphilharmonie is cast.

Out of the gutted Kaispeicher A, the Elbphilharmonie grows a further 17 floors. In 2010, the last level is added: the 25th floor. The installation of the innovative glass facade begins on the ninth floor.

In 2013, after months of building freeze, the Elbphilharmonie partners sign a reassignment agreement. From this point on, the internal construction makes advances: the first panels of the »white skin« are installed in the Grand Hall.

On 31 January 2014, five fitters attach the last of the 1,100 glass elements to the edge of the rolling rooftop. This concludes the construction of the facade, and the exterior of the Elbphilharmonie is now complete.

The Plaza opens to the public on 4 November 2016, two months ahead of the Grand Opening of the concert hall. The Plaza’s extensive deck creates a new public space for Hamburg.

The inauguration of the Elbphilharmonie is celebrated on 11 January 2017. This momentous event is attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and numerous other guests from the worlds of culture and politics.