Am Sandtorkai / Dalmannkai quarter

Project 24: Elbphilharmonie concert hall

Investor: Freie- und Hansestadt Hamburg / private investors

Contact: Elbphilharmonie Hamburg Bau GmbH & Co. KG
represemted by the ReGe Hamburg Projekt-Realisierungsgesellschaft mbH

Developer: Adamanta (Hochtief Construction AG and Commerz Real AG)

Architect: Werner Kallmorgen, Hamburg | Herzog & De Meuron, Basel

Use: concert halls, residential, Hotel, public plaza, parking deck

User:

Development status: under construction

Breathtakting design, unbeatable location: like a large glassy wave, the Elbphilharmonie concert hall seems to float above the former Kaispeicher A warehouse (© ELBE&FLUT)

The Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall will be an incomparable landmark for Hamburg. Swiss star architects Herzog & de Meuron are now erecting a spectacular concert venue within the walls of mighty Kaispeicher A, a cocoa warehouse built between 1963 and 1966 to plans by architect Werner Kallmorgen.

Although the core of this striking structure was completely removed, its cubic shape and brick façades remain intact. Thus, a worldwide unique architectonic hybrid is emerging, which will also house a five-star hotel and 45 apartments.

The former warehouse building is crowned by an undulating, curved and inclining glass structure, blending historic port architecture and contemporary architectural creativity, port tradition and the district’s new self-confidence. A public plaza offering fantastic views of the harbor, HafenCity, the River Elbe and the city will take shape at a height of 37 meters on the brick building below the new glass structure.

Two thirds of the gutted warehouse will be used for car parking, but backstage areas and places for musical education will be accommodated here as well. The new glass superstructure, almost 110 meters high, will contain two large auditoriums holding audiences of 2,150 and 550 respectively. The Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall will become a unique location for performances of classical music, music of the 21st century and sophisticated musical entertainment. The topping out ceremony was held in May 2010. The Elbphilharmonie will be ready in 2014; its "appetiser" program is already being performed in a variety of venues, such as the St. Katharinen church. The unveiling of the first designs by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron in 2003 caused an international sensation; however, their plans could only be realized through the unequalled commitment of Hamburg citizens, more than 7,500 of whom promised support for the construction phase, as well as endowments toward the concert hall’s eventual running costs.