PHILHARMONIE
how music was meant to sound
INNOVATIVE SPACES
The Philharmonie concert hall has succeeded, in a very short space of time, in establishing itself both at home and abroad as a much-loved venue for making and listening to music, meeting new people and simply relaxing. Designed by French architect and Pritzker Prize winner Christian de Portzamparc, the Philharmonie was inaugurated in 2005. Seen from above, it looks like a giant rugby ball flanked by two leaves. The design of the building is striking: 823 slender white columns support the elliptical foyer, creating a transparent envelope for its three auditoria. The main concert hall,the Grand Auditorium, hosts up to 1,500 people, while the intimate Chamber MusicHall seats 313 and the smaller Espace Découverte, which holds hugely popular children’s concerts at weekends, offers seating for up to 180.
The Philharmonie is a concert hall that makes music sound like it was meant to sound. Top artists such as Herbie Hancock and Cecilia Bartoli have commented on the quality of the acoustics, and more than 150,000 music lovers flock to this stunning building every year.
LUXINNOVATION | FOCUS 7/2013
