Elbphilharmonie

Hamburg has a new cultural landmark! The Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall represents an unprecedented synthesis of the arts - architecture, music and the unique location in the middle of the Hamburg harbour. More than 2.6 million guests have already attended over 1,000 concerts!

Nearly 230,000 people have taken part in guided tours of the concert hall and the music education services offered by the Elbphilharmonie have attracted over 150,000 participants of all ages. The Elbphilharmonie is truly a building of superlatives - here spectacular architecture meets breathtaking acoustics. In addition to three concert halls, the Elbphilharmonie building complex houses the Plaza as well as the luxury hotel "THE WESTIN", a restaurant and 45 exclusive private apartments!

The publicly accessible Plaza is a central meeting place in the Hanseatic city. The world's longest curved escalator (80 metres) takes visitors up to a height of 37 metres. Here on the Plaza, the 360° panorama of the city fascinates every visitor.

An unmistakable landmark in the heart of the Hanseatic city

A bold, undulating glass construction rises above the historic Kaispeicher at the western tip of HafenCity: the Elbe Philharmonic Hall extends a warm welcome to all visitors to Hamburg. Since its opening, the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall has undoubtedly become Hamburg's architectural and cultural landmark and symbolises the spirit of a deeply musical city.

The festive opening of the Elbe Philharmonic on January 11, 2017 in HafenCity drew an unparalleled international response. For months, Hamburg's new landmark remained at the centre of the international press. Well over 12 million visitors have since flocked to Hamburg to enjoy the panoramic view from the Plaza.

Music for all in the Elbphilharmonie

Both the Grand Hall and the Small Hall belong to the first league of concert halls in the world. Their unique architecture enables an extraordinary sound miracle. The Great Hall is located between the 12th and 16th floors at a height of 50 metres and offers room for 2,100 guests for concerts of all genres, rich in contrast and variety. The Small Hall of the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall, designed for 550 guests, with its elegant wood panelling not only provides a moving sense of space, but also an unprecedented sound experience. Both halls were developed by the Japanese expert Yasuhisa Toyota.

Exceptions are almost the rule here. For the Elbphilharmonie is a house for everyone and its extensive musical programme is designed in a cosmopolitan manner. Thanks to the high flexibility of the concert halls, international stars and music shape the programme just as much as classical music, jazz, electro or pop music.

Both the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra (Great Hall) and the Ensemble Resonanz (Small Hall) are among the leading ensembles and are known for their innovative interpretations, thus shaping the worldwide music scene.

The architecture – bridging the gap between tradition and modernity

The Elbphilharmonie is probably the best-known example of the bridging of tradition and modernity. The concert hall was designed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. The combination of red brick walls and filigree glass construction makes the Konzerthaus the epitome of Hamburg's self-image. The former Kaispeicher A was used until the end of the last century as a warehouse for tea, tobacco and cocoa beans, among other things. It forms the foundation for 200,000 tons of culture: the glass façade transforms the superimposed structure of the philharmonic hall with a total height of 110m into a huge crystal with a constantly changing appearance. With its glass panels, which are curved and cut in sections, it captures the reflections of the sky, the water and the city.