Anyone interested in architecture and impressive buildings will be familiar with Hamburg's new landmark. The curved glass facade of the Elbphilharmonie rises dazzlingly into the sky above the venerable warehouse building of typical red clinker brick.
The clouds move on, the curved glass panes catch the light, and the Elbphilharmonie almost seems to become one with its surroundings. The glass blends into the waves and clouds, rising like a beautiful fiery red painting over the water as the sun sets.
Inside and out, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg is a thing of beauty. Design meets the highest engineering skills to create a building that is second to none. But as proud as the people of Hamburg are of their Elbphilharmonie today, there were also problems during construction. The trend of problematic large construction projects in Germany is also evident in Germany's largest seaport.
The planned construction costs increased more than tenfold, and completion was delayed for years. There were some disagreements among the people working on the project, and construction was even halted for a while. Was it all worth it in the end? And why is it that such unique buildings in Germany keep causing problems? You can read more about this and other interesting facts in this blog post. Enjoy reading!
Elbphilharmonie in Detail
This impressive building opened in 2017 and welcomes millions of visitors every year. Architects Herzog & de Meuron created a building that is not only prestigious, but also absolutely unique.
The Elbphilharmonie Hamburg visually connects the traditional Speicherstadt with the modern HafenCity. It rises a full 110 meters (361 feet) above the water level of the Elbe River and is now the landmark of the Hanseatic City.
The building is used in a variety of ways. The heart of the Elbphilharmonie is in the glass body – the famous large concert hall. With 2,100 seats, it awaits visitors from all over the world and treats them to incomparable acoustics that are unique in the world. There is also a smaller hall for 550 people.
The Westin Hamburg Hotel is located on the 9th to the 20th floors of the Elbphilharmonie. Its 244 rooms offer guests a direct view of the Elbe River, the Speicherstadt district, and the modern HafenCity. The western part, on the other side of the Elbe, consists of 45 exclusive condominiums.
In the historic base, the former wharf warehouse, hotel guests will find a wellness area covering around 1,300 m² (13,993 ft²). In addition to conference rooms and a fitness area, it also houses the parking garage and the third concert hall, Kaistudio 1, which can accommodate up to 170 people.
The Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg is impressive, and not only from the inside. The undulating glass facade attracts attention from afar, and the spectacularly shaped roof blends perfectly into the harbor setting.
The building's cost is as impressive as its appearance. From a planned budget of €77 million, the project ended up costing more than ten times as much: almost €870 million. And here we see one of the main points of contention that made this large construction project so problematic. But how did this happen?
Phases of Elbphilharmonie Project
In order to present all the interesting details of the construction of the Elbphilharmonie as clearly as possible, we will go through the individual construction phases together. Starting with the concept and ending with the completion and opening.
Concept of Elbphilharmonie
The idea for a spectacular concert hall dates back to the early 2000s. The city of Hamburg held an architectural competition to create a new landmark for the Hanseatic city.
It was a very special commission. The goal was to create a concert hall with a hotel that would fit in with HafenCity and blend seamlessly into the large-scale HafenCity project. A glass structure with an undulating roof and a uniquely structured facade, built on top of the historic Kaispeicher A warehouse. This design won the day and the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron were awarded the contract.
First Preparations for Construction of Elbphilharmonie
The location of the Elbphilharmonie had been decided: the top of Kaispeicher A in HafenCity. The next step was to integrate the historic brick warehouse into the overall concept. In the past, goods such as cocoa, tea, and tobacco were stored here. Now, the building had to be completely gutted.
The foundations were reinforced so that the warehouse could reliably support the glass structure as a base. Initial soil investigations revealed that Kaispeicher A was originally based on a wooden pile foundation. Additional reinforced concrete piles were used to increase the load-bearing capacity.
In addition, micropiles were installed in problematic areas to transfer loads into the supporting soil. Additional concrete supports and reinforcements were used to further strengthen the floor slab. This ensured that the Elbphilharmonie stands on solid ground.
It is also interesting to note that a hydraulic lifting system was used throughout the reinforcement work. This lifted the entire wharf warehouse slightly and stabilized it until the work was completed.
Detailing Work on Elbphilharmonie
The actual design of the glass structure was reworked several times. In the end, a unique glass facade and a striking wave-shaped roof were chosen. However, the Elbphilharmonie was not only special from the outside. The entire building concept was thought through down to the last detail, including sustainability. In fact, the Elbphilharmonie received a "gold" certificate from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).
Grand Hall and its White Skin
Perhaps one of the greatest innovations can be found inside the building. The "Grand Hall" is the heart of the concert hall. Without a doubt, the acoustics play first fiddle here. The terraced design, based on the vineyard principle, is a true engineering masterpiece.
The Elbphilharmonie concert hall was built on a special concrete trough and still holds the title of the world's deepest concert hall. Special elastic supports ensure the acoustic decoupling of the so-called floating hall. A total of 342 steel spring assemblies on the floor and 34 in the roof area ensure that vibrations from outside, for example from HafenCity, are absorbed.
Nevertheless, the crowds of HafenCity visitors are guided past the public square directly above the Grand Hall during concerts. Perfect acoustics for each of the 2,100 visitors to the Elbphilharmonie concerts are a top priority.
In addition, the Grand Hall has a 600 m² (6,458 ft²) acoustic curtain. This can be lowered as needed to adjust the acoustics. Even the height of each individual seat can be adjusted.
A worldwide novelty in the Elbphilharmonie is the wall paneling called "White Skin". Located on the ceiling of the Grand Hall, it resembles countless small fish scales from below. It is a 6,000-square-meter (64,583-square-feet) cladding made of 10,000 individually milled gypsum fiber panels to prevent possible echoes in every corner of the hall. Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota was commissioned to create this design.
Living Waves on Glass Facade of Elbphilharmonie
The facade of the Elbphilharmonie was a real challenge. The wave-shaped design had to create a dynamic and organic appearance and evoke the waters of the Elbe River. After all, Hamburg is closely associated with this maritime character.
Depending on the incidence of light and cloud cover, the glass giant almost disappears in the reflections. To achieve this effect, the engineering office of Werner Sobek designed a single-shell glass facade in element construction.
The technical feasibility was a major challenge for the structural engineers. Each of the glass panels to be inserted into the steel frame of the Elbphilharmonie had to be individually formed. The result: more than 1,100 individual pieces, some up to a width of 4 m (13 ft) and a height of 5 m (16.5 ft). Just one of the glass panels cost around €72,000.
Each panel was also printed with countless basalt gray and reflective chrome dots. This provided both privacy and solar control. The facade of the Elbphilharmonie reflects a good 25% of the heat radiation. This allows daylight to enter the building, while at the same time providing a view of the Elbe River, HafenCity, and the historic Speicherstadt.
The facade of the Elbphilharmonie is beautiful at any time of day. However, the color change at sunset is particularly impressive, as the unique shape of the glass panels comes into its own. The entire facade is illuminated from the inside in fiery red: always a popular photo subject.
By the way: If you want to visit the Elbphilharmonie during your trip, you have free access to the so-called Plaza. This is the wide gap where the wharf warehouse merges into the glass structure at a height of 37 m (121.5 ft). From there, visitors can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the harbor and the city. Definitely worth a visit!
Problems with Construction of Elbphilharmonie
One thing is certain: The Elbphilharmonie is still one of the most impressive buildings ever built. The people of Hamburg are proud of their landmark, but not everything went as planned. And at times, the goodwill of the city's residents towards their Elbphilharmonie was very much in doubt.
Elbphilharmonie: More Complicated than Expected
When construction began in 2007, it quickly became clear that the technical challenges had been taken into account, but significantly underestimated. A building like the Elbphilharmonie simply did not exist.
Architectural changes were made during the construction phase of the Elbphilharmonie. Therefore, recalculations were necessary. Moreover, each of the 300 or so trades, from glass construction to facade installation to electrical engineering, worked with their own 2D plans.
As soon as one of these trades changed its plans for the Elbphilharmonie, for whatever reason, all the others were forced to adapt their plans accordingly. And since this happened quite often, delays occurred in the actual construction process.
As a result, contracts had to be extended for a lot of money, and you can probably see where this is going. The original 2001 budget of about €77 million did not last long.
Financing Elbphilharmonie
For a long time, it was not even known who would finance the Elbphilharmonie project. In the end, it was announced that the city of Hamburg and also private investors would be involved. This was to cause problems later.
By 2005, the estimated construction costs had risen to around €114 million. But the bad news came five years later: the total cost of completing the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg would be around €800 million.
Many taxpayers found this sum hard to swallow, and widespread public criticism put pressure on those responsible. In response, the city displayed a model of the Elbphilharmonie made from over 20,000 blocks of wood to illustrate the complexity of the project.
In fact, the construction of the Elbphilharmonie came to a complete halt while the City of Hamburg tried to negotiate with the architects, contractors, and most importantly, the private investors. Unfortunately, a quick agreement to cover the additional costs was not possible, and the parties went to court.
Only after arbitration proceedings and lengthy negotiations was an agreement reached on financing the additional costs, and construction continued. The Elbphilharmonie Hamburg finally opened in January 2017.
Conclusion on Elbphilharmonie Hamburg
One question remains: How could the parties involved have gotten things so wrong in the first place? The answer is as revealing as it is simple. The Elbphilharmonie was a very complex building project from the very beginning. The integration of a modern concert hall into an existing building was an unprecedented challenge.
On top of that, the location of the site wasn't exactly ideal: right next to the water. Most of the problems were likely caused by the changes the architects made to the Elbphilharmonie after construction had begun.
The feasibility of certain special features, such as the unique glass panels on the facade, was completely misjudged. After all, a project like the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg had never been realized before, and the estimates—in terms of materials, time, and complexity—were far below reality.
There have also been economic fluctuations, as is normal for a long-term project. Rising material and labor costs are difficult to predict over a long period of time. Although the Elbphilharmonie had experienced project partners in the architects and the engineers who played a key role, innovative construction projects always remain unpredictable to a certain extent.
As we have seen with other large construction projects in Germany, such as Berlin Airport or Stuttgart 21, the construction industry is generally more than willing to take a certain amount of risk. Especially when it comes to construction time and costs.
On one hand, this results in fascinating, unique buildings, such as the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, but on the other hand, realistic planning would definitely be desirable. The construction industry needs to take a step forward if it is to deliver such large-scale projects on time, safely, and within budget.
In our blog, we have often mentioned the necessary measures for successful large-scale construction projects: Transparency between trades and, above all, teamwork. Digital collaborative planning saves nerves, time, and money. At least if the design is fully completed before construction begins. Thanks to BIM, this is now possible; it just needs to be implemented.