The building that Herzog & De Meuron thought would destroy their lives
“There were moments when we thought this building would destroy our whole career,” says Herzog. “Somehow we were responsible for this total disaster, because we had seduced the people with our design.”
Photography: by Iwan Baan
Designed by Herzog and De Meuron ‘The Elbphilharmonie’ concert hall in Hamburg was announced to be officially and totally opened to the public with its first concert on January 2017. Located in an area that most of Hamburg citizens never felt its importance before, this building offers a public landmark and a new cultural hub. ‘The Elbphilharmonie’ contains many services and uses like the orchestra hall, music rooms, restaurants and a one of a kind roof terrace that offers panoramic views of the city of Hamburg and its magnificent harbor. The landmark building also contains a hotel offering room for tourists and visitors.
Photography: by Iwan Baan
The elevated roof terrace opens this week for public to enjoy the panoramic views as well as some other areas for the guests.
Photography: by Iwan Baan
Herzog and De Meuron also renovated Werner Kllmorgen’s warehouse which is located near the concert hall.
To announce the opening, some photographs by the Photographer Iwan Baan were published to show the beauty of the interiors and the details of this new cultural center.
Isabelle Laurent is a Built Projects Editor at Arch2O, recognized for her editorial insight and passion for contemporary architecture. She holds a Master’s in Architectural Theory from École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Before joining Arch2O in 2016, she worked in a Paris-based architectural office and taught as a faculty adjunct at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Isabelle focuses on curating projects around sustainability, adaptive reuse, and urban resilience. With a background in design and communication, she brings clarity to complex ideas and plays a key role in shaping Arch2O’s editorial