Archinect - News

How algorithms designed the sound of the new Hamburg concert hall

2017-08-30T18:30:00-04:00

Detached from the rest of the building for soundproofing reasons, the 10,000 panels that line the central auditorium are the result of parametric design, a process of creating multiple individual designs using algorithms. A million individual cells ranging from four to 16cm long are cut out from the panels [...] The ivory coloured gypsum fiber acoustic panels contain a seashell motif and were designed by Swiss architect Herzog & De Meuron with help from German studio One to One.

Interior view of the central concert hall. Photo: Iwan Baan.

"It would be insane to do this by hand," GCR quotes Benjamin Koren, founder of One to One, the studio that created the design algorithm for the concert hall's acoustic panels. "That’s the power of parametric design. I hit play, and it creates a million cells, all different and all based on these parameters. I have 100% control over setting up the algorithm, and then I have no more control.”

Photo: Johannes Arlt

Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie celebrates its grand opening

2017-01-12T12:54:00-05:00

After months of antici.............pation, Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie has finally opened, and a slew of luminaries, including Angela Merkel and the architects themselves, were in attendance to celebrate the inaugural concert.

The event featured the debut of “Zum Raum wird hier die Zeit,” a composition by Wolfgang Rihm specifically commissioned for the hall's opening.

Take a flight through Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie, in classical or metal speed

2016-12-20T18:43:00-05:00

For those who have been eagerly anticipating a look inside Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie before it officially opens this January, your chance has come in the form of a website feature which allows you to navigate through the space at your chosen speed via your preferred web browsing device. Here's a preview video that gives you a sense of the magnificence of the interior (as well as the ebuillenece of the soundtracked touring experience). Voila:

Take a stroll inside Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, courtesy of Google

2016-11-15T13:53:00-05:00

After nearly ten years of being put through the ringer of recession and recovery, Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie is finally complete, and slated for its grand opening in January 2017.

But before the public gets to bask in Yashuhisa Toyota's acoustic design, anyone can peek inside the concert hall for a look. Thanks to Google Arts and Culture, part of the Google Cultural Institute's attempt to record the world's collections and cultural institutions for sharing online, you can take your own personal tour of the venue. Play conductor or snag that perfect seat; check out the coat check, or take in the view of the neighboring HafenCity waterfront area. The resolution is high enough to get a good read on those pocketed interior walls.

Check out Google's view of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg here.

Always with a grounded, archaic element to it

2016-11-14T18:02:00-05:00

Cities are always day-to-day. There are cultural buildings, there are important business campuses, and in between there is the normal city. And there are, of course, better and worse quarters. Unfortunately, I have to say that the older quarters are normally the most beautiful. Quarters that have developed over time have more charm and class...It is important that beacons are continually established in this mush, in these newly developed areas

Ulrike Knöfel interviewed architect Jacques Herzog regarding the soon to open Elbphilharmonie. They also discuss the state of contemporary architecture, it's role in rapid gentrification and how to best ensure a building is loved/preserved for generations.

Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie will open on November 5

2016-11-03T13:24:00-04:00

Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg will finally welcome its first guests on November 5, following nearly a decade tainted with cost overruns and planning delays. Located in the rapidly developing HafenCity district, the crown-shaped concert hall proudly announced its completion this past Monday to the city in giant gleaming letters that spelled out “FERTIG”, or “Completed” in German.

Starting Saturday, the City of Hamburg will hand over day-to-day management to HamburgMusik. The complex includes three concert halls (the largest one seating 2,100 and designed by acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota), a music education area, and a “Plaza” where guests can take in panoramic views of the surrounding harbor. The restaurants, cafes and bars, and the hotel will also open. However, it seems the grand opening festivities will begin when the Elbphilharmonie hosts its first concert on January 11.

You can also check out a cross-section of the project in the gallery below.

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Take a look at Herzog & De Meuron's Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg

2016-07-21T13:19:00-04:00

The Elbphilharmonie, a massive building complex by Herzog & De Meuron, will open in early January 2017. Set on the banks of the Elbe River in Hamburg, the complex contains three concert halls, a hotel, 45 private apartments, and "the Plaza," a public viewing area.

The main attraction of the Elbphilarmonie a 2,100 seat, world-class "Grand Hall," situated some 50 meters off the ground. The concert hall is detached from the rest of the building for acoustic reasons. The acoustic design of the concert hall was by Yashuhisa Toyota.

The Elbphilharmonie is located at the center of a rapidly transforming area of Hamburg. Dubbed HafenCity, the waterfront area, surrounded by both the Elbe and Alster rivers, is Europe's largest inner-city development project. When completed, the district will be home to about 12,000 people.

The project drew controversy a few years ago for cost overruns – the total cost almost tripled from initial estimates – and construction delays. German taxpayers are expected...

Hamburg Concert Hall: Blame game begins in €800-million hall saga

2014-01-08T14:03:00-05:00

German taxpayers are expected to spend almost €800 million on the project, which has been criticized by politicians and the media as a waste of public funds. The costs have included €300 on a toilet brush. [...] Meanwhile, architects Herzog & de Meuron were blamed for the chaos at the Hamburg building site, after failing to stick to the planning schedule.

Previously: