漏 visitberlin, Foto: Wolfgang Scholvien
Berliner Philharmonie: Together with the Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt, it is one of Berlin's most important concert halls.
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View of Scharounplatz in front of the Philharmonie.
漏 visitberlin, Foto: Wolfgang Scholvien
View of the foyer of the Berlin Philharmonie.
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A grand piano in the chamber music hall of the Berlin Philharmonie.
The Philharmonie is a showpiece of the organic architectural style. The building, which was very controversial at the beginning, is now a model for concert halls all over the world.
The Philharmonie in Berlin-Charlottenburg is part of the Kulturforum at Potsdamer Platz. The home of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra stands out from the surrounding buildings of the Kulturforum with its yellow façade. But it's not just the color of the façade that stands out: Thanks to its unusual architecture, the Berlin Philharmonie is considered a prime example of "organic building".
The building in which the world-famous orchestra plays today was actually planned by Hans Scharoun as an extension to the Joachimsthalsche Gymnasium in Berlin-Wilmersdorf, now the University of the Arts, on Bundesallee. However, the plans changed, so that the already designed building was built as a new cultural center on the southern edge of the Tiergarten as the first building of the Kulturforum in the post-war period.
Hans Scharoun consistently planned the Philharmonie from the inside out, making him one of the representatives of organic modernism in 20th century Neues Bauen. The building was intended to do without an external formal corset. The architect was criticized from many sides for this way of thinking. Until then, buildings with simple forms and the shortest possible distances had dominated.
With the aim of making the Philharmonie a place of shared experience for orchestra and visitors, Scharoun placed the orchestra at the center of the main hall. The stage is the lowest point of the hall - from here, the audience tiers rise in terraces and offer a very special view of the orchestra. The large hall of the Philharmonie can accommodate a total of 2410 visitors. The special position of the stage in the middle and at the lowest point of the hall posed acoustic challenges. Scharoun solved them in collaboration with acoustician Lothar Cremer. The unconventional architecture also continues below the Great Hall: In the foyer, corridors and staircases meet like a labyrinth.
Externally, the Philharmonie is reminiscent of the bow of a ship, a popular motif by Hans Scharoun. The façade he had planned was initially not realized because it was too expensive. The concrete façade was only painted ochre. It was only between 1979 and 1981 that the shiny gold-coloured, anodized aluminium panels were installed. The Museum of Musical Instruments was built in the immediate vicinity of the Philharmonie between 1978 and 1984. The plans for this building also go back to Scharoun, who was already deceased at the time.
漏 visitBerlin, Foto: Nele Niederstadt
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