Elbphilharmonie

A material focus
The Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, with its glass façade and wave-like rooftop, is designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron. Located in the historic Sandtorhafen, the waterside building accommodates two acoustically advanced concert halls, a hotel and residential apartments.

Herzog & de Meuron also created the interior concept for the 2,100-seat Grand Hall. This focuses on the materiality of the architecture. In doing so, it complements the other interior spaces in the ‘Elbi’, which are designed by Studio Besau Maguerre and Architect Daniel Schöning. The furniture in the Elbphilharmonie works harmoniously with the other design elements in the building. Eva Marguerre and Marcel Besau decided to have it white or ‘decolourised’. This ensures the building does not ‘withdraw’ from performances, and that the material is placed in the foreground.

Different tactile and visual expressions
Ginger 2, Tonica, Coda 2 and Hallingdal 65 textiles are used in different areas of the Elbphilharmonie. The chairs in the Grand Hall are designed by Poltrona Frau and upholstered with Basel.

“We were looking for a range of fabrics that would allow us to realise the central idea for the furnishings at the Elbphilharmonie. The fabrics had to be white or discoloured, and provide different tactile and visual expressions – from refined and soft, to rough and solid. Kvadrat’s versatile and delicately balanced collection met all these requirements,” Studio Besau Maguerre