Elbphilharmonie

ICONIC ARCHITECTURE | Chiara Melani

It is a fluid wave that rises up 110 meters over the skies of Hamburg, with a melodic name: Elbphilharmonie. It is an innovative architectural landmark, designed by the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron in 2017.

Surrounded by the banks and waters of the Elbe on three sides, it dominates the entire city. It is perched on top of the former Kaispeicher A, which was built in the 1960s by renowned architect Werner Kallmorgen; the newly designed structure rises up from the rugged brick warehouse like a glassy propulsion of 1,100 elements that are variously cambered and curved and individually marked. The two parts of the building are separated by the 37-meterhigh Plaza, which forms a link between them, is publically accessible, and offers a spectacular view of the city skyline.

 

Wavy twists and twines are articulated in a grand hall, an incomparable musical hall where you can indulge in the perfect acoustics of glorious concerts, in addition to a hotel, boutique, and elegant restaurants. The effects from chromatic and panoramic reflections turn the façade into a constantly evolving pictorial canvas, depicting the surrounding environment and atmospheric changes. It is located at the western point of the new HafenCity, Europe’s
largest inner-city urban development project, and in direct proximity to the World Heritage district Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus business district with the
Chilehaus.

 

This location has been crowned a new cornerstone for the city’s social and cultural life, as well as a tourist attraction.

 

Web: elbphilharmonie.de