Here’s What Happens When People Let Algorithms Design A Concert Hall
It might have taken 7 years longer than planned, and it might have cost ten times more than the original budget, but as you can see from these incredible pictures, Hamburg’s new concert hall was definitely worth the wait.
The hall, called the Elbphilharmonie, can seat 2,100 people and cost a whopping $843 million USD. It was designed by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, who are perhaps most well known for designing the Tate Modern in London and the Olympic “Bird’s Nest” Stadium In Beijing. They joined forces with Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, famous for the Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A and the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, and together they used algorithms to create the auditorium’s 10,000 unique acoustic panels.
Made from gypsum fiber, each panel contains one million “cells” which line the ceilings, walls and balustrades of the central auditorium. When sound waves hit these panels, the “cells” help to shape the sound by either absorbing the waves or causing them to reverberate throughout the hall. No two panels absorb or scatter the sound waves in the same way, but together they create a perfectly balanced audio that can be heard from every corner of the auditorium.
The genius feat of audio engineering is complemented by an equally stunning facade, which rises above the Elbe River and is the tallest building in town. Its roof is designed to mimic the shape of waves and is covered in giant sequins, and the building features 1000 plate-glass panels that change color in the light. It’s a beautiful testament to both music and architecture in the city where Brahms and Mendelssohn were born. Can you imagine listening to one of their performances in such an incredible concert hall?
More info: Elbphilharmonie
The Elbphilharmonie is Hamburg’s stunning new concert hall
Image credits: Maxim Schulz
It can seat 2,100 people and cost a whopping $843 million USD
Image credits: Iwan Baan
It took seven years longer than scheduled to complete and far exceeded its original budget of $82 million
Image credits: Michael Zapf
But as you can see, it was definitely worth the wait
Image credits: Fabian Bimmer
It was designed by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, who also designed the Tate Modern in London
Image credits: Christian Charisius
They joined forces with Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, famous for the Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A
Image credits: Michael Zapf
Together they used algorithms to create the auditorium’s 10,000 unique acoustic panels
Image credits: One to One
For some designers it’s a scary prospect. “I have 100% control over setting up the algorithm, and then I have no more control,” says architect Benjamin Koren
Image credits: Unknown
Made from gypsum fiber, each panel contains one million “cells” which line the ceilings, walls and balustrades of the central auditorium
Image credits: Bertold Fabricius
When sound hit these panels, the “cells” shape the sound by either absorbing the waves or causing them to reverberate throughout the hall
Image credits: Ben Koren
No two panels absorb or scatter sound waves alike
Image credits: Ben Koren
But together they create a balanced reverberation across the entire auditorium
Image credits: Michael Commentz
The genius design is complemented by an equally stunning facade, which rises above the Elbe River and is the tallest building in town
Image credits: Iwan Baan
It’s a beautiful testament to both music and architecture in the city where Brahms and Mendelssohn were born
Image credits: Iwan Baan
Can you imagine listening to one of their performances in such an incredible concert hall?
Image credits: Michael Zapf
Image credits: Maxim Schulz
Watch the video to see for yourself:
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Share on FacebookIt reminds me of one of those futuristic meeting halls they have in sci-fi movies
I want to be in the meeting where the budget went from $82.000.000 to $843.000.000...
And in USA spends in hunderds od BILION for war
Load More Replies...Nothing is worth that much wasted time and money. To be that overbudget and timeline is embarrassing.
I'm sorry. I strongly disagree with most of your statement. I find this absolutely amazing. The way it was built and how. The time it took to build isn't really bad if it created a product this amazing. I am a musician and i would pay just to stand in there. To truly play there... I could die of happiness. Though i do agree that the price is outrageous.
Load More Replies...I mean, how is that even possible? Eight hundred million dollars? That has gót to be a typo.
Just looking at the picture before going into this post, I knew it was the philharmonic in Hamburg. The building has been on my news way too often for it's long overdue opening and when it finally opened it was THE news of the day. Only to discover a couple of months later that a water pipe burst and require renovations. I'm inclined to say "so much for German quality", but don't know where the pipe actually came from, so I'll just say "German punctuality"... we're not as punctual as everyone thinks we are. At least when it comes to constructions (BER airport in Berlin, is another example) or trains (looking at you Deutsche Bahn!)
About the trains: only germans complain about them. The Deutsche Bahn IS the most punctual in the whole world.
Load More Replies...Everything about this building is stunning ! 10x original cost ..... obscene overruns. There should be a clause that penalizes the contracted company for this & the 7 years longer it took to complete this magnificent building.
When daring to undertake a revolutionary & cutting edge project such as this cost projections & time tables are impossible. So you want to destroy the magicians who made this happen. Kill the artist & you live in mediocrity. People like you are why we can't have nice things.
Load More Replies...I would absolutely LOVE to see the light show they'd do to Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture"
I understand why they would want to do it, why not make the perfect music hall? its not like they are going to make all of them like this, but its nice to see science and music come together.
I'd fly to Hamburg simply to hear a concert at the Elbphiharmonie. Can only imagine what a orchestra sounds like.
I wonder if there is a radio station you can tune into while the performance is going on so you could listen and watch the light show, too.
As an audio engineer who had meddled in algorithms before hands down to the engineers because its so hard to do. Would love to look into the acoustic research made for this!
As me a audio engineer myself who have done some projects using algorithms, hands down to the engineer geniuses who went through the process and research in creating a beautiful and acoustically grand sound environment. Would love to look into their research for this!
I've been in a very similar hall in a dream, didn't think sth so bizarre could actually exist xD
I would love to see a concert there, what an incredible room ! www.ogsoundfx.com
But only works with spherical instruments in 70% nitrogen atmosphere....
As I can SEE it was worth the wait?? What difference does it make how it looks? The SOUND is the key!!
If i have one wish can come true it would be the nazım of the fazılsay came on stage here..
WOW. Amazing!! Reminds me a little of Australia's opera--the way it is sitting out on the water.
This is like a dream ! Totally in love with the whole idea and the results !
Closest i have come to know about a symphony is watching mozart in the jungle. this looks as amazing as the show.
Tickets to a show there are probably too expensive that most people can’t afford to go. So what a waste..
Nope. The prices are actually super reasonable, normal ticket price if you will, like for any other concerthall. Problem is, everybody and their mother wants to go, so the tickets are sold out for months and months to come (But they also have a public ticket "lottery" so that you have the chance to get tickets even though its all booked up. I got tickets this way and many of my friends have).
Load More Replies...The mirror finish on the exterior is a serious mistake. cf London's "Walkie -Talkie" building, the Walt Disney Concert Hall , and the Vdara Hotel in Las Vegas.
Burn that thing. https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/article107961188/Verzweifelt-gesucht-Hamburg-fehlen-90-000-Wohnungen.html When thgey started building this pos around 90.000 flats were missing in Hamburg.
It reminds me of one of those futuristic meeting halls they have in sci-fi movies
I want to be in the meeting where the budget went from $82.000.000 to $843.000.000...
And in USA spends in hunderds od BILION for war
Load More Replies...Nothing is worth that much wasted time and money. To be that overbudget and timeline is embarrassing.
I'm sorry. I strongly disagree with most of your statement. I find this absolutely amazing. The way it was built and how. The time it took to build isn't really bad if it created a product this amazing. I am a musician and i would pay just to stand in there. To truly play there... I could die of happiness. Though i do agree that the price is outrageous.
Load More Replies...I mean, how is that even possible? Eight hundred million dollars? That has gót to be a typo.
Just looking at the picture before going into this post, I knew it was the philharmonic in Hamburg. The building has been on my news way too often for it's long overdue opening and when it finally opened it was THE news of the day. Only to discover a couple of months later that a water pipe burst and require renovations. I'm inclined to say "so much for German quality", but don't know where the pipe actually came from, so I'll just say "German punctuality"... we're not as punctual as everyone thinks we are. At least when it comes to constructions (BER airport in Berlin, is another example) or trains (looking at you Deutsche Bahn!)
About the trains: only germans complain about them. The Deutsche Bahn IS the most punctual in the whole world.
Load More Replies...Everything about this building is stunning ! 10x original cost ..... obscene overruns. There should be a clause that penalizes the contracted company for this & the 7 years longer it took to complete this magnificent building.
When daring to undertake a revolutionary & cutting edge project such as this cost projections & time tables are impossible. So you want to destroy the magicians who made this happen. Kill the artist & you live in mediocrity. People like you are why we can't have nice things.
Load More Replies...I would absolutely LOVE to see the light show they'd do to Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture"
I understand why they would want to do it, why not make the perfect music hall? its not like they are going to make all of them like this, but its nice to see science and music come together.
I'd fly to Hamburg simply to hear a concert at the Elbphiharmonie. Can only imagine what a orchestra sounds like.
I wonder if there is a radio station you can tune into while the performance is going on so you could listen and watch the light show, too.
As an audio engineer who had meddled in algorithms before hands down to the engineers because its so hard to do. Would love to look into the acoustic research made for this!
As me a audio engineer myself who have done some projects using algorithms, hands down to the engineer geniuses who went through the process and research in creating a beautiful and acoustically grand sound environment. Would love to look into their research for this!
I've been in a very similar hall in a dream, didn't think sth so bizarre could actually exist xD
I would love to see a concert there, what an incredible room ! www.ogsoundfx.com
But only works with spherical instruments in 70% nitrogen atmosphere....
As I can SEE it was worth the wait?? What difference does it make how it looks? The SOUND is the key!!
If i have one wish can come true it would be the nazım of the fazılsay came on stage here..
WOW. Amazing!! Reminds me a little of Australia's opera--the way it is sitting out on the water.
This is like a dream ! Totally in love with the whole idea and the results !
Closest i have come to know about a symphony is watching mozart in the jungle. this looks as amazing as the show.
Tickets to a show there are probably too expensive that most people can’t afford to go. So what a waste..
Nope. The prices are actually super reasonable, normal ticket price if you will, like for any other concerthall. Problem is, everybody and their mother wants to go, so the tickets are sold out for months and months to come (But they also have a public ticket "lottery" so that you have the chance to get tickets even though its all booked up. I got tickets this way and many of my friends have).
Load More Replies...The mirror finish on the exterior is a serious mistake. cf London's "Walkie -Talkie" building, the Walt Disney Concert Hall , and the Vdara Hotel in Las Vegas.
Burn that thing. https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/article107961188/Verzweifelt-gesucht-Hamburg-fehlen-90-000-Wohnungen.html When thgey started building this pos around 90.000 flats were missing in Hamburg.
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