In use as a warehouse until the end of last century, the solid and weight walls of the Kaispecher now supports Hamburg’s new Philharmonic. Habour warehouses of the 19th century typically adopted the vocabularly of the city’s historical facad, but not here. The facade of the Kaispeicher is not only massive, but also strikingly radical and abstract.

The new building has been extruded from the shape of the Kaispeicher. The top and bottom are radically different from the simple form of the warehouse. The broad and undulating shape of the roof rises to a total height of 110 m at its highest point and slopes down 30 m to the lower eastern end. At the base of the new structure, on top of the warehouse is a lively animated plaza. An arch cut into the side walls allows for spectacular and theatrical views out across the Elbe river and towards downtown Hamburg. Deep recesses in the facade meanwhile provide views of the foyers on several levels. 

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The Elbphilharmonie on the Kaispeicher in the midst of Hamburg’s HafenCity marks a location that was known to the public but not really accessible. In the future it will become a new center of social, cultural and daily life not only for the people of Hamburg but for visitors from all over the world.

The Kaispeicher A was still in use as a warehouse until the end of the last century. This solid and weighty construction will now be put to new use: it will support the Philharmonic. It will now bear on top the load that it once carried within its walls. Our interest in the warehouse lies not only in its unexploited structural potential but also in its architecture. The robust, almost aloof architecture of the Kaispeicher provides a surprisingly ideal foundation for the new Philharmonic hall. It seems to be part of the landscape and not yet really part of the city, which is now spreading out to include the area. The harbor warehouses of the 19th century adopted the urban vocabulary of the city’s historical façades -- but not the Kaispeicher A. Despite the contextual choice of bricks as a building material, the façades of this massive and mighty warehouse are strikingly radical and abstract.

The new building has been extruded from the shape of the Kaispeicher. While rising above the brick block of the older building with an identical ground plan, the top and bottom of the new structure are fundamentally different from the calm and simple form of the warehouse below: the broad, undulating shape of the roof rises to a total height of 110 m at the Kaispitze (the tip of the peninsula), sloping down to the eastern end, where the roof is 30 m lower. The bottom of the new structure, on top of the warehouse, is a lively animated plaza, divided into zones defined by expansive vaulting, ranging from flat to very steep. An arch cut into the side wall affords views of the sky and spectacular, theatrical vistas across the river Elbe river and downtown Hamburg. Deep recesses cut into the building above the plaza provide views of the foyers on several levels.

In contrast to the stoic brick façade of the Kaispeicher, the Philharmonic, clad in variously curved and cut panels of glass, looks like an immense crystal, whose appearance keeps changing as it captures and combines reflections from the sky, the water and the city.

The main entrance to the Kaispeicher lies to the east. Curving slightly as it leads to the plaza, the elongated escalator that provides access cannot be seen in full from one end to the other. It is a spatial experience in itself, transporting users through the entire warehouse, passing a large panorama window and translating the spirit of the sweeping staircases in fin de siècle concert halls into a contemporary idiom.

Upon reaching the top of the Kaispeicher, visitors step onto a spacious terrace, a new plaza high above the city. Perched on top of the Kaispeicher, it is like a gigantic joint between the two elements of the structure and creates a new space for public use that also provides access to the foyer of the new concert hall.

The design of the Philharmonic is clearly a 21st century project that would have been inconceivable before. What has been retained is the fundamental idea of the Philharmonic as a space where orchestra and conductor are located in the midst of the audience and where the architecture and the arrangement of the tiers take their cue from the logic of the acoustic and visual perception of music, performers and audience. Here, however, that logic leads to another conclusion; the tiers extend higher into the overall space so that the tiers, walls, and ceiling form a homogeneous whole. The complex geometry of the hall unites organic flow with incisive, more static shapes. Rising vertically almost like a tent, the concert hall seats 2150 people to enjoy the pleasures of making and listening to music. Its towering shape defines the structure of the entire volume of the building and is correspondingly reflected in the silhouette of the building as a whole.

As a landmark visible from afar, the Elbphilharmonie will lend the horizontally oriented city an entirely new accent, symbolizing Hamburg’s foray into the new territory of the harbor area along the shores of the Elbe.

In Hamburg's HafenCity, the Elbphilharmonie has emerged as a new cultural landmark. It comprises three concert halls, a hotel, 45 private apartments and a publicly accessible plaza with 360 panoramic views of the city. The centre piece is a world-class concert hall with a height of 50 meters and seating for 2,100, decoupled from the rest of the building for soundproofing reasons.

The building is an interplay between a former warehouse called the Kaispeicher A, which forms the base for the bold, curved glass structure of the Elbphilarmonie, which sits on top. Between the warehouses and the new construction is an area called the Plaza, which is open to the public. The Grand Hall is a true technical achievement. Weighting 12,5000 tonnes, the hall rests on 362 giant spring assemblies and is thus decoupled from the rest of the building. To ensure perfect acoustics, a special material called White Skin was developed by renowned acoustics specialist Yasuhisa Toyota.

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Hamburg has a new cultural landmark: the Elbphilharmonie, which opens its doors on January 11 and 12, 2017 in Hamburg’s HafenCity. On the banks of the river Elbe on approx. 1,700 reinforced concrete piles a building complex has emerged, which, in addition to three concert halls, will encompass a hotel, 45 private apartments, and the publicly accessible Plaza with a 360° panoramic view of the city. The centrepiece of the Elbphilharmonie is also one of the most exciting structural challenges in Europe at the moment: A world-class concert hall at a height of 50 metres with seating for 2,100, which is decoupled from the rest of the building for soundproofing reasons. The Elbphilharmonie is the perfect symbiosis of architecture and music at a unique site within the historic city port.

The building The interplay between the archaic appearance of the former warehouse known as the Kaispeicher A and the bold curve of the dazzling glass corpus is the architectural calling card of the Elbphilharmonie. Old and new conjoin in an exciting synthesis. Between the warehouse and the new construction there is an area accessible to the public, the Plaza. Nowhere else is the link between the docks and the city revealed as impressively as here. Visitors will be treated to a unique 360° panoramic view of the city from a height of 37 meters. Measuring about 4,000 square metres, the Plaza is almost as big as the one in front of the Town Hall and is an ideal place for Hamburg’s citizens and tourists, concertgoers and hotel guests to stroll. On the outside, there is a walkway around the entire building. On the inside are the foyers leading to the Grand Hall and the Recital Hall, a café and the hotel lobby. The Plaza will be accessible to any visitor, with or without a concert ticket! The Kaispeicher A itself will be used as a multi-storey car park with approx. 500 spaces. It also houses the spa facilities and conference rooms of the hotel, the music education area, several backstage rooms, and, not least of all, the third auditorium with seating for approx. 170. All this is contained within one building, whose impressive entrance is reached via an 82-metre long escalator. The escalator has a concave arch so its end cannot be seen from the beginning. The visitor is thus immersed into a glowing spherical tunnel. Glass sequins that reflect and refract the lights set the mood for the special ambience of this building.

The exclusive location The Elbphilharmonie Hamburg is built in a historically significant place: in the Sandtorhafen docks. 1875 saw the construction of the first warehouse in Hamburg Docks here: the Kaiserspeicher. The magnificent neo-Gothic building quickly emerged as the city’s landmark while the city became a major centre of international trade. Almost completely destroyed in WW II, the Kaiserspeicher was detonated in 1963. In 1966 the Kaispeicher A was erected on the same site, based on a design by Werner Kallmorgen. Cocoa, tea and tobacco were stored here until the 1990s. With the rise in container transport, however, the warehouse dwindled in significance and ultimately stood empty.

Three concert halls The Grand Hall, 50 metres from ground level and with 2,100 seats, is the heart of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. Following the concept of vineyard architecture the orchestra sits in the middle of the auditorium, with the rows of seats rising up in steep tiers. It is structural masterpiece: for soundproofing reasons the 12,500-tonne hall rests on 362 giant spring assemblies and is thus decoupled from the rest of the building. To ensure that the acoustics are perfect, a special material has been developed by internationally renowned acoustics specialist Yasuhisa Toyota. This is known as the White Skin. A four-manual organ with 65 stops, from the organ-workshop Klais in Bonn, completes the Grand Hall of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. In contrast to the Grand Hall, the Recital Hall follows the classic concept of the »shoebox«. With its flexible podium technology and seating for up to 550 visitors, it is suitable not only for chamber music, but also for numerous other uses. The Recital Hall is located in the glass corpus as well and, resting on 56 spring assemblies, is also acoustically decoupled. The third auditorium, the Kaistudio 1, for approx. 170 visitors, is in the interior of the Kaispeicher and is an ideal venue for contemporary and experimental music.

The White Skin The White Skin ensures that the acoustics in the Grand Hall are perfect. It consists of a total of 10,000 gypsum fibre panels composed of a mixture of natural plaster and recycled paper. The panels are milled according to intricate 3D calculations und produced exactly to the millimetre dimensions given, to obtain an acoustically optimal surface structure. They fulfil the highest requirements regarding acoustic quality, weight, fire protection and durability. The panel surface, precisely shaped by a computer-operated device, maintains an organic, almost hand-carved look. The depth and shape of the surface structure differ according to the position of each panel and its corresponding acoustical needs. The surface structure was programmed especially for the Grand Hall and consists of approx. one million cells, each of which is perfectly matched to the spatial geometry of the hall. For optimal and targeted sound distribution, the surface structure plays a crucial role. Such highly effective acoustical microshaping is achieved by precise milling to the nearest millimetre and is characteristic for the White Skin. The panels weigh between 35 and 125 kilogrammes, depending on their thickness and size. The White Skin was developed by the architects, in close cooperation with the acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, fire safety experts, and the manufacturing company Peuckert (based in Mehring near Munich). Prior to the production there was a thorough research of possible materials, and numeric and sample studies were conducted. By virtue of the precise planning, the walls and the ceiling merge into one another and appear like a single piece of skin the size of 6,500 square metres.

The glass facade The dazzling glass facade of the Elbphilharmonie is unique. It consists of 1,100 individual panes, each measuring four to five metres wide and over three metres high. In the foyer area they are even more than five metres in height. The windows themselves are a masterpiece of engineering. Most glass panes were separately shaped with millimetre precision at 600° C, then marked with small basalt grey reflective dots. This prevents the structure from heating up due to sunlight while at the same time it creates a special shimmering effect. To achieve an optimal effect the configuration of the dots is computer-calculated for each glass pane based on the respective mounting positions. The curvature of each pane depends on the particular area of the building. Hatches resembling fish-gills characterise the hotel and foyer while horseshoe-shaped recesses, which look like tuning forks, form the balconies for the flats on the westernmost tip of the building. Each glass element weighs about 1.2 tonnes. In quality-control tests the glass panes withstood gale-force winds up to 150 km per hour and torrential downpours with ease. The glass surface of the Elbphilharmonie covers 16,000 square metres, a size equivalent to two football fields. It was completed in January 2014.

The roof structure The 7,000-square metre roof of the Elbphilharmonie consists of eight spherical, concavely bent sections that form a uniquely elegant curving silhouette. In addition, 6,000 shimmering giant sequins have been applied to the roof. The roof structure, with its steep curves and high peaks, itself weighs 1,000 tonnes and covers the complex star-shaped steel framework that carries the Grand Hall without any supporting pillars. The roof of the Grand Hall is made up of a steel framework, each element measuring up to 25 metres in length and weighing up to 40 tonnes, the outer and inner shell, floors for the technical equipment, the White Skin with the reflector as well as additional loads. Altogether the roof weighs 8,000 tonnes.

The project Elbphilharmonie Hamburg The initial idea for rejuvenating Kaispeicher A was of the construction of the MediaCityPort - an office building for the media industry, which was to tower up to a height of 90 metres on top of the Kaispeicher A, with a gross surface area of 50,000 square metres. However, the end of the dotcom boom and the subsequent drop in demand meant it was never actually built. Originally commissioned by the project developer Alexander Gérard, the star Swiss Architects Herzog & de Meuron came up with a project sketch – the groundbreaking idea of a »Hamburg Philharmonie« – the construction of a concert hall on the historical warehouse, surrounded by commercial facilities and a publicly accessible Plaza. The spectacular design elated the Senate, the city government and the public. In May 2004 the ReGe Hamburg, a project development company owned by the city, was installed as the developer of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. The feasibility of the project was assessed and a utilisation concept was prepared, and then the private partners for the construction, the financing and 20 years of operation of the object were determined by means of a European tendering procedure. The contracts were assigned to Commerz Real AG and Hochtief Solutions AG within the property company Adamanta GmbH & Co. The approx. 45 freehold apartments entailed by the project lie in the responsibility of Hochtief as the property developer, who in this specific field cooperates with Quantum AG in a company named Skyliving GmbH.

Construction progress Following the unanimous approval of the city government, construction work began on 2 April 2007 with the laying of the foundation stone. The Kaispeicher A was first completely gutted, with just the brick facades remaining intact. Then a further 650 reinforced concrete piles, in addition to the existing 1,111, were rammed 15 metres deep into the mud of the River Elbe, so that the building could support the 200,000 tonnes of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. On completion of the 26th storey, the last one in the bare brickwork, the topping-out ceremony took place in May 2010. The shell construction was completed in November 2013. The installation of the White Skin in the Grand Hall was commenced in December 2013. The facade was completed in January 2014; the roof was sealed in August 2014. The Elbphilharmonie will be inaugurated on 11 January 2017, although the Plaza will already be publicly accessible from November 2016.

Legal disputes during construction The building of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg was accompanied by disputes between the municipal Elbphilharmonie Bau KG and the property development company Adamanta until summer 2013. Supplementary negotiations ended in November 2008 with a settlement (Amendment 4). At this time the costs of the project increased to 495 million Euro for the city and 30 November 2011 was agreed upon as the new completion date. In 2010 the Hamburg state parliament launched a parliamentary committee of inquiry in order to determine the causes of the increase in costs. At the beginning of 2010 Hochtief announced that it was not able to fulfil its contractual obligations. In March 2011 the general contractor predicted that the building could not be handed over until November 2013 and in October 2011 ceased construction work on the roof of the Grand Hall. In April 2013 the project partners signed an agreement for restructuring of the project, after which construction work was fully resumed. The restructuring agreement stipulates among other points: - Additional responsibilities assigned to Hochtief (assumption of any risks related to planning and construction, participation in a newly founded consortium with the architects, guaranteed meeting of quality requirements from the architects and the acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, contractually warranted intermediate deadlines, as well as a binding date of completion) - A new construction schedule (handover of the concert venue areas of the Elbphilharmonie by 30 June 2016; final inspection and acceptance of the Elbphilharmonie by 31 October 2016) - Additional costs for the City of Hamburg (256.65 million Euro for the additional services executed by Hochtief and the architects).

The Westin Hamburg stretches 21 floors in the former Kaiserspreicher warehouse and the new glass building. The 205 rooms and 39 suites were designed by Berlin Interior Architect Tassilo Bost.

According to Bost, design and concept hotels such as this require new and surprising concepts in order to attract guests. This includes more efficient rooms and layouts, but more so individual and unique experiences for guests. The concept here includes placing bathrooms directly next to the facade replacing typical hotel pictures with floor-to-ceiling windows Bost explains this extroverted privacy next to the facade creates a unique and spectacular experience for guests in a world of sameness.

This radical bathroom concept is supported by products from Villeroy & Boch’s Architectura and Loop & Friend’s Collection. 

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The Elbphilharmonie is now open and the critical voices have quickly turned into a cheering orchestra. The world of architecture agrees – Herzog & de Meuron has created a masterpiece. But not only the quality of the building from the outside is what people notice. The transparent façade also caters for special moments inside. The floor-to-ceiling windows especially in the bathrooms in the Westin Hotel offer unparalleled views over the busy port life. The hotel designer Tassilo Bost with his compelling concept has laid the foundation for guests to have an unforgettable experience in the bathrooms.

Background information Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

The Elbphilharmonie Hamburg opened its doors at the beginning of the year after a ten-year construction period. The renowned Swiss office Herzog & de Meuron has created a new landmark together with Hochtief, the general contractor. To get into this imposing building, an 80-metre long curving escalator takes visitors to the plaza that is 37 metres higher up. The square connects the two parts of the building from where hotel guests and concert-goers can appreciate a breathtaking view of the Hafencity area. Thanks to the internationally renowned acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, the 2,100 visitors to the large concert hall can enjoy a unique sound experience.

The glass bathroom. Extroverted privacy next to the façade

In a world that is getting ever louder, people are increasingly looking for more peaceful moments. Hotels especially have to combine the contrasting poles of “openness” and “privacy” to ensure guests feel comfortable. Bathrooms play a special role in this. Located right next to the façade, the panoramic bathrooms in the Westin Hotel are perfectly placed to fulfil the wish for a unique experience as well as the desire for privacy. The sublimity of the location ensures guests will be able to enjoy a high level of luxury. Where the port and town meet on the river Elbe is exactly where the hidden view opens up new perspectives.

Maximum effect with contrasts. Guests will love this contradiction!

Digitisation, individualisation, globalisation – the new generation of travellers has high demands. Hotels have to be able to combine expectations on technical excellence with the desire for surprises in such a way that guests feel at home all over the world and want to come back. These diverse requirements place huge demands on hotel architecture and design. Hotels with a public as well as private coolness factor are popular – like the Westin that surprises its guests with a unique bathroom concept. Hotel designer Tassilo Bost is confident, “These kinds of experiences can trigger an “addiction” – a strong desire to return to this place.”

A decision against profitability? Why it’s still worth having bathrooms next to the façade!

Design and concept hotels in particular attract guests with constantly new and surprising concepts. This not only includes ever more efficient rooms and layouts. The modern hotel industry is responding to the demand for individuality that travellers are looking for by primarily offering special experiences. The positioning of a hotel increasingly depends on how unique the hotel experience is and the main focus is no longer on profitability. Example Westin: Although the spacious bathroom design next to the façade has a supposedly “negative” effect on the possible amount of rooms, the experience for the guest is surprisingly positive.

Washbasin with a view. Villeroy & Boch is taking bathrooms to another level

In an age of permanent visibility, time-outs are a luxury good. The desire to slow down is growing. A challenge especially for hotels. Anyone who can strike the balance between exciting products and comforting habits is in vogue. Naturalness and authenticity in architecture and design are in demand – as is uniqueness. Villeroy & Boch the bathroom expert supports these conceptual and design trends in the hotel industry by providing innovative products. As an expert in well-being, the traditional company from Mettlach underlines Tassilo Bost’s (the hotel designer) radical bathroom concept in the new Westin Hotel in Hamburg with products from the Architectura and Loop & Friends collections.

Background information Westin Elbphilharmonie

The Westin Hamburg opens its sixth hotel in Germany in November 2016. It stretches over 21 floors in the former Kaiserspeicher warehouse and the new glass building. The Berlin interior designer Tassilo Bost has added a perfect blend of modern and timeless understated design elements to the 205 rooms and 39 suites. The unusual concept includes placing bathrooms right next to the façade and having floor-to-ceiling windows to replace typical hotel pictures.

CONSTRUCTION SITE BOARD:

Project name: Elbphilharmonie Location: Germany, Hamburg Client: Elbphilharmonie Bau KG Architects: Herzog & de Meuron Products: Architectura WCs Loop & Friends Washbasins

In contrast to the stoic brick facade beneath, the Elbphilharmonic is clad in variously curved and cut panels of glass, appearing like an immense crystal that continuously changes as it captures and combines reflections from sky, water and the city. Situated in the heart of Hamburg, it is a new beacon of social and cultural daily life in the city.

Designed by the acclaimed Herzog & de Meuron architecture firm, this cutting edge building has been fit out with Made in Germany smart-building technology by Gira. In particular, switches, socket outlets, LED signal lights and touch sensors from the Gira E2 switch range were specified for the concert auditoriums and the public, catering and backstage areas of the project.

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The concert hall, a new landmark on the banks of the River Elbe designed by the world-renowned firm of architects Herzog & de Meuron from Basel, has been fitted out with smart-building technology by Gira. Gira products – including switches, socket outlets, LED signal lights and touch sensors from the Gira E2 switch range and the Gira FacilityServer – have been used in the concert auditoriums and the public, catering and backstage areas of this prestigious project in the HafenCity quarter of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

"We are delighted that the architects, artistic directors and developers of such an impressive architectural landmark decided on systems from Gira," commented Kay Berges, Head of Key Account Management at the technology company from the Bergisches Land region, which was founded in 1905. "In this connection, we have certainly also benefited from our innovative strength, high-quality design and our reliable 'Made in Germany' quality."

In May 2004, ReGe Hamburg, a project development company owned by the city, was installed as the developer of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. The feasibility of the project was assessed and a utilisation concept was prepared, and then the private partners for the construction, the financing and 20 years of operation of the object were determined by means of a European tendering procedure.

The contracts were assigned to Commerz Real AG and Hochtief Solutions AG within the property company Adamanta GmbH & Co. The approximate 45 freehold apartments entailed by the project lie in the responsibility of Hochtief as the property developer, who in this specific field cooperates with Quantum AG in a company named Skyliving GmbH.

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Hamburg has a new cultural landmark: the Elbphilharmonie, which opens its doors on January 11 and 12, 2017 in Hamburg’s HafenCity. On the banks of the river Elbe on approx. 1,700 reinforced concrete piles a building complex has emerged, which, in addition to three concert halls, will encompass a hotel, 45 private apartments, and the publicly accessible Plaza with a 360° panoramic view of the city. The centrepiece of the Elbphilharmonie is also one of the most exciting structural challenges in Europe at the moment: A world-class concert hall at a height of 50 metres with seating for 2,100, which is decoupled from the rest of the building for soundproofing reasons. The Elbphilharmonie is the perfect symbiosis of architecture and music at a unique site within the historic city port.

The building The interplay between the archaic appearance of the former warehouse known as the Kaispeicher A and the bold curve of the dazzling glass corpus is the architectural calling card of the Elbphilharmonie. Old and new conjoin in an exciting synthesis. Between the warehouse and the new construction there is an area accessible to the public, the Plaza. Nowhere else is the link between the docks and the city revealed as impressively as here. Visitors will be treated to a unique 360° panoramic view of the city from a height of 37 meters. Measuring about 4,000 square metres, the Plaza is almost as big as the one in front of the Town Hall and is an ideal place for Hamburg’s citizens and tourists, concertgoers and hotel guests to stroll. On the outside, there is a walkway around the entire building. On the inside are the foyers leading to the Grand Hall and the Recital Hall, a café and the hotel lobby. The Plaza will be accessible to any visitor, with or without a concert ticket! The Kaispeicher A itself will be used as a multi-storey car park with approx. 500 spaces. It also houses the spa facilities and conference rooms of the hotel, the music education area, several backstage rooms, and, not least of all, the third auditorium with seating for approx. 170. All this is contained within one building, whose impressive entrance is reached via an 82-metre long escalator. The escalator has a concave arch so its end cannot be seen from the beginning. The visitor is thus immersed into a glowing spherical tunnel. Glass sequins that reflect and refract the lights set the mood for the special ambience of this building.

The exclusive location The Elbphilharmonie Hamburg is built in a historically significant place: in the Sandtorhafen docks. 1875 saw the construction of the first warehouse in Hamburg Docks here: the Kaiserspeicher. The magnificent neo-Gothic building quickly emerged as the city’s landmark while the city became a major centre of international trade. Almost completely destroyed in WW II, the Kaiserspeicher was detonated in 1963. In 1966 the Kaispeicher A was erected on Press contact Elbphilharmonie: Enno Isermann (Spokesman Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Ministry of Culture) phone: +49 40 428 24 207, [email protected] Press contact concert programme: Tom R. Schulz, Julia Mahns, Elena Wätjen Press and PR (HamburgMusik gGmbH – Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle Hamburg) phone: +49 40 357 666 258, [email protected] the same site, based on a design by Werner Kallmorgen. Cocoa, tea and tobacco were stored here until the 1990s. With the rise in container transport, however, the warehouse dwindled in significance and ultimately stood empty

Three concert halls The Grand Hall, 50 metres from ground level and with 2,100 seats, is the heart of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. Following the concept of vineyard architecture the orchestra sits in the middle of the auditorium, with the rows of seats rising up in steep tiers. It is structural masterpiece: for soundproofing reasons the 12,500-tonne hall rests on 362 giant spring assemblies and is thus decoupled from the rest of the building. To ensure that the acoustics are perfect, a special material has been developed by internationally renowned acoustics specialist Yasuhisa Toyota. This is known as the White Skin. A four-manual organ with 65 stops, from the organ-workshop Klais in Bonn, completes the Grand Hall of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. In contrast to the Grand Hall, the Recital Hall follows the classic concept of the »shoebox«. With its flexible podium technology and seating for up to 550 visitors, it is suitable not only for chamber music, but also for numerous other uses. The Recital Hall is located in the glass corpus as well and, resting on 56 spring assemblies, is also acoustically decoupled. The third auditorium, the Kaistudio 1, for approx. 170 visitors, is in the interior of the Kaispeicher and is an ideal venue for contemporary and experimental music.

The White Skin The White Skin ensures that the acoustics in the Grand Hall are perfect. It consists of a total of 10,000 gypsum fibre panels composed of a mixture of natural plaster and recycled paper. The panels are milled according to intricate 3D calculations und produced exactly to the millimetre dimensions given, to obtain an acoustically optimal surface structure. They fulfil the highest requirements regarding acoustic quality, weight, fire protection and durability. The panel surface, precisely shaped by a computer-operated device, maintains an organic, almost hand-carved look. The depth and shape of the surface structure differ according to the position of each panel and its corresponding acoustical needs. The surface structure was programmed especially for the Grand Hall and consists of approx. one million cells, each of which is perfectly matched to the spatial geometry of the hall. For optimal and targeted sound distribution, the surface structure plays a crucial role. Such highly effective acoustical microshaping is achieved by precise milling to the nearest millimetre and is characteristic for the White Skin. The panels weigh between 35 and 125 kilogrammes, depending on their thickness and size. The White Skin was developed by the architects, in close cooperation with the acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, fire safety experts, and the manufacturing company Peuckert (based in Mehring near Munich). Prior to the production there was a thorough research of possible materials, and numeric and sample studies were conducted. By virtue of the precise planning, the walls and the ceiling merge into one another and appear like a single piece of skin the size of 6,500 square metres.

The glass facade The dazzling glass facade of the Elbphilharmonie is unique. It consists of 1,100 individual panes, each measuring four to five metres wide and over three metres high. In the foyer area they are even more than five metres in height. The windows themselves are a masterpiece of engineering. Most glass panes were separately shaped with millimetre precision at 600° C, then marked with small basalt grey reflective dots. This prevents the structure from heating up due to sunlight while at the same time it creates a special shimmering effect. To achieve an optimal effect the configuration of the dots is computer-calculated for each glass pane based on the respective mounting positions. The curvature of each pane depends on the particular area of the building. Hatches resembling fish-gills characterise the hotel and foyer while horseshoe-shaped recesses, which look like tuning forks, form the balconies for the flats on the westernmost tip of the building. Each glass element weighs about 1.2 tonnes. In quality-control tests the glass panes withstood gale-force winds up to 150 km per hour and torrential downpours with ease. The glass surface of the Elbphilharmonie covers 16,000 square metres, a size equivalent to two football fields. It was completed in January 2014.

The roof structure The 7,000-square metre roof of the Elbphilharmonie consists of eight spherical, concavely bent sections that form a uniquely elegant curving silhouette. In addition, 6,000 shimmering giant sequins have been applied to the roof. The roof structure, with its steep curves and high peaks, itself weighs 1,000 tonnes and covers the complex star-shaped steel framework that carries the Grand Hall without any supporting pillars. The roof of the Grand Hall is made up of a steel framework, each element measuring up to 25 metres in length and weighing up to 40 tonnes, the outer and inner shell, floors for the technical equipment, the White Skin with the reflector as well as additional loads. Altogether the roof weighs 8,000 tonnes.

The project Elbphilharmonie Hamburg The initial idea for rejuvenating Kaispeicher A was of the construction of the MediaCityPort - an office building for the media industry, which was to tower up to a height of 90 metres on top of the Kaispeicher A, with a gross surface area of 50,000 square metres. However, the end of the dotcom boom and the subsequent drop in demand meant it was never actually built. Originally commissioned by the project developer Alexander Gérard, the star Swiss Architects Herzog & de Meuron came up with a project sketch – the groundbreaking idea of a »Hamburg Philharmonie« – the construction of a concert hall on the historical warehouse, surrounded by commercial facilities and a publicly accessible Plaza. The spectacular design elated the Senate, the city government and the public. In May 2004 the ReGe Hamburg, a project development company owned by the city, was installed as the developer of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. The feasibility of the project was assessed and a utilisation concept was prepared, and then the private partners for the construction, the financing and 20 years of operation of the object were determined by means of a European tendering procedure. The contracts were assigned to Commerz Real AG and Hochtief Solutions AG within the property company Adamanta GmbH & Co. The approx. 45 freehold apartments entailed by the project lie in the responsibility of Hochtief as the property developer, who in this specific field cooperates with Quantum AG in a company named Skyliving GmbH.

Construction progress Following the unanimous approval of the city government, construction work began on 2 April 2007 with the laying of the foundation stone. The Kaispeicher A was first completely gutted, with just the brick facades remaining intact. Then a further 650 reinforced concrete piles, in addition to the existing 1,111, were rammed 15 metres deep into the mud of the River Elbe, so that the building could support the 200,000 tonnes of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. On completion of the 26th storey, the last one in the bare brickwork, the topping-out ceremony took place in May 2010. The shell construction was completed in November 2013. The installation of the White Skin in the Grand Hall was commenced in December 2013. The facade was completed in January 2014; the roof was sealed in August 2014. The Elbphilharmonie will be inaugurated on 11 January 2017, although the Plaza will already be publicly accessible from November 2016.

Legal disputes during construction The building of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg was accompanied by disputes between the municipal Elbphilharmonie Bau KG and the property development company Adamanta until summer 2013. Supplementary negotiations ended in November 2008 with a settlement (Amendment 4). At this time the costs of the project increased to 495 million Euro for the city and 30 November 2011 was agreed upon as the new completion date. In 2010 the Hamburg state parliament launched a parliamentary committee of inquiry in order to determine the causes of the increase in costs. At the beginning of 2010 Hochtief announced that it was not able to fulfil its contractual obligations. In March 2011 the general contractor predicted that the building could not be handed over until November 2013 and in October 2011 ceased construction work on the roof of the Grand Hall. In April 2013 the project partners signed an agreement for restructuring of the project, after which construction work was fully resumed. The restructuring agreement stipulates among other points:

- Additional responsibilities assigned to Hochtief (assumption of any risks related to planning and construction, participation in a newly founded consortium with the architects, guaranteed meeting of quality requirements from the architects and the acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, contractually warranted intermediate deadlines, as well as a binding date of completion) - A new construction schedule (handover of the concert venue areas of the Elbphilharmonie by 30 June 2016; final inspection and acceptance of the Elbphilharmonie by 31 October 2016) - Additional costs for the City of Hamburg (256.65 million Euro for the additional services executed by Hochtief and the architects).

THE ELBPHILHARMONIE HAMBURG A WORLD CLASS CONCERT HALL

Built on a historical warehouse and designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, a spectacular concert hall with a spellbinding glass facade is being built: The Elbphilharmonie is Hamburg’s new architectural and musical landmark and will be home to exceptional concert experiences.

The »vineyard« principle: the Grand Hall With its 2100 seats the Grand Hall is the heart of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. The audience is seated on all sides of the stage, the seating rising up as in a stadium, similar to the terraced planting of vineyards. The conductor and the orchestra take their place in the middle of the hall, with the seating rising steeply in interwoven tiers. This guarantees unobstructed sightlines of the stage and an excellent listening experience from every seat. In its appearance, the Grand Hall resembles a mixture of the Berlin Philharmonie and the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. The reflector in the centre of the pointed ceiling is architecturally impressive in itself. It provides for the outstanding acoustics and contains lighting and technical equipment. The acoustic concept was developed by one of the world’s leading experts on acoustics, Yasuhisa Toyota of Nagata Acoustics. He measured and tested the sound quality and its distribution on an exact 1:10 model of the Grand Hall.

An organ from Bonn A four-manual organ with 65 stops completes the Grand Hall of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. A remote console with additional stops is located in the reflector above the stage. Its sound quality is particularly ideal for the repertoire from the 19th century on, as well as meeting the requirements of contemporary music. The traditional organ workshop, Johannes Klais Orgelbau Bonn, is responsible for the organ.

The Recital Hall as »shoebox« and Kaistudio In addition to the Grand Hall, the Elbphilharmonie has two other concert halls, a recital hall and a small studio. In contrast to the Grand Hall the Recital Hall is in the classic »shoebox« form. Equipped with flexible podium and seating for up to 550, it is suitable not only for chamber music, jazz concerts or solo recitals but allows for various other possible uses. The Kaistudio 1, the third hall of the Elbphilharmonie, has seating for approx. 170 and is the centre of a lively music education area located within the old warehouse construction. It can serve as a concert venue for contemporary and experimental music and as a rehearsal space for ensembles and choirs. In addition to the Kaistudio 1, the music education area comprises six further rehearsal rooms, the Klingendes Museum (Interactive Instrument Museum), and further backstage and foyer areas

NDR Symphony Orchestra to be Orchestra in Residence When the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg opens, some 650 concerts will be held annually in the auditoriums of the concert halls Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle, around 200 of which will be Elbphilharmonie Konzerte. The majority of concerts will be presented by Hamburg-based orchestras, choirs and ensembles, while private concert promoters will add further international highlights to the programme. The »Orchestra in Residence« of the Elbphilharmonie is the NDR Symphony Orchestra with its chief conductor Thomas Hengelbrock. It has been assigned the status of orchestra in residence as part of a long-term cooperation agreement between the NDR (North German Broadcasting Corporation) and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Alongside the NDR Symphony Orchestra, the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra (whose primary role continues to be playing for the Hamburg State Opera) will perform its Philharmonic Concerts in both the Elbphilharmonie and the Laeiszhalle. The Hamburg Symphony Orchestra under its chief conductor Jeffrey Tate becomes the »Orchestra in Residence« at the Laeiszhalle, while the Ensemble Resonanz finds a new home in the Recital Hall of the Elbphilharmonie. The programme will cover the full spectrum of classical music – from Renaissance to contemporary music, from solo recitals and chamber music to large-scale choral and orchestral concerts. The stylistic repertoire will also extend beyond classical music to include jazz, world music and sophisticated pop.

»Planet Elbphilharmonie« In addition to the concert halls the Elbphilharmonie houses a 250-room hotel and 45 private apartments. The Kaispeicher foundation, which until the 1990’s served as a store for cocoa beans, contains rehearsal and storage spaces, an education centre, restaurants, a park deck as well as the spa facilities and conference rooms of the hotel. Between the Kaispeicher and the new glass corpus the publicly accessible Plaza is located at a height of 37 metres. It provides access to the various sections of the Elbphilharmonie and offers its visitors a spectacular view over the entire city of Hamburg. The Elbphilharmonie is literally a citizen’s concert hall: Approx. 68 million Euro have been donated to the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg Foundation for its construction and the operation of the Elbphilharmonie Konzerte.

Laeiszhalle Elbphilharmonie Hamburg The Elbphilharmonie, which opens its doors on January 11 and 12, 2017 in Hamburg’s HafenCity, and the renowned Laeiszhalle are under the direction of one company. Christoph Lieben-Seutter has been General and Artistic Director since 2007, and since the 2009/2010 season he has also been responsible for the Elbphilharmonie Konzerte, a programme of around 120 concerts that are held in the Laeiszhalle and in many other venues throughout the city, alongside those presented by Hamburg orchestras and private concert promoters. The Elbphilharmonie Konzerte offer a wide-ranging, modern and cosmopolitan programme that introduces audiences to the programming concept of the Elbphilharmonie and steers Hamburg forward in its role as a city of music.

With its 2100 seats the Grand Hall is the heart of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. The audience is seated on all sides of the stage, the seating rising up as in a stadium, similar to the terraced planting of vineyards. The conductor and the orchestra take their place in the middle of the hall, with the seating rising steeply in interwoven tiers. This guarantees unobstructed sightlines of the stage and an excellent listening experience from every seat. In its appearance, the Grand Hall resembles a mixture of the Berlin Philharmonie and the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.

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Almost ten years after its foundation stone was laid, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, will be inaugurated on 11 and 12 January 2017. Even now, the Elbphilharmonie is considered to be Hamburg’s new landmark.

Poltrona Frau Contract has furnished 2,100 seats for the Grand Hall, the main concert hall.

The Elbphilharmonie consists of two historically and esthetically diverging elements that blend old and new in a fascinating way. The mid-1960s-built, red-brick warehouse is crowned with a mesmerizing glass construction that mirrors the river Elbe, the sky, the harbour and the inner city in ever-changing light. The building houses three auditoria (Grand Hall, 2,100 seats; Recital Hall, 550 seats; Kaistudio, 150 seats), a hotel and 45 private apartments.

The Grand Hall, situated at a height of 50 metres above ground level, is the heart of the building. The design is unique: it follows the vineyard design, with the stage in the middle of the auditorium and rows of seats rising up in steep tiers around it.

The Grand Hall provides an excellent listening experience from every seat. And with no seat being further away than 30 metres from the conductor it has, in all its grandeur, a surprising intimacy.

Integral to Herzog & deMeuron’s concept for the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg’s HafenCity, was the idea of the concert hall with its attached hotel and apartment area in a ‘slit, moulded and sliced up,’ state to create a connection between its interior and exterior. Consequently, gill-shaped hatches can be found in the insulated facade area at the from of the hotel.

These hatches are created by side edges that are each directly connected to a flat insulating glass element. Ventilation flaps enclose these soffit surfaces and make it possibe for hotel guests to to take in the smells and sounds of the harbour.

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Super Spacers® also provided almost identical advantages for the unique façade construction of the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg's HafenCity (dockside area). Nearly 2,200 facade units were installed in total in the project. The spherically arched glazed insulating glass facade elements, which are found mainly in the hotel and backstage area, are manufactured using the flexible Super Spacer® TriSealTM Premium Plus. Due to its exposed position, the façade must also be able to withstand the most powerful gale-force winds. Therefore the glass elements were put through extensive strength tests at the Gundelfingen-based façade specialist Gartner. Winds of 150 kilometres per hour, applied a pressure of more than 600 Pascal on to the panes of glass, which also had to withstand heavy rain of two litres per minute and per square meter, and pendulum weight impact tests. Super Spacer® TriSeal™ proved that they are able to withstand even greater stresses in a hurricane simulator at a wind speed of 350 km/h without any difficulty when subjected to positive pressure, and at a wind speed of 395 km/h under suction. Christoph Rubel on the reasons: "In the case of a window with a rigid spacer this forms a sharp edge in the edge seal when subjected above a certain pressure burden on which the glass can break. A flexible spacer also makes the edge seal flexible so that there is no longer a risk of breakage at this point.

Today, acoustics plays an important roll in all aspects of construction and this most certainly applies to heating units. Here, the clients sought out the highest performance standard in acoustics with respect to heating, cooling and ventilation systems. This resulted in the specification of Kampmann GmbH’s trench heating units.

For this project a highly skilled team of engineers custom designed Katherm HK trench units thorough testing and subsequent modifications within the company's modern Research and Development Centre (FEC). Numerous experiments and measurements according to ISO 3744-3746 and ISO 9614 were carried out in the in-house sound chamber to warrant optimum air floor, maximum output and lowest sound emissions.

Katherm trench units are visible right within the entrance area, including models in a curved design for heating and cooling. Katherm HK units are also to be found in the backstage-area of the Elbphilharmonie. In the Westin luxury hotel rooms and apartments, Katherm NK and Katherm QK units as well as Venkon Fan Coils are installed. In addition, Kampmann UniLine air curtains keep the cool breeze outside that comes off the river Elbe.

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The Elbphilharmonie Hamburg is a total work of art: it combines innovative architecture and an exceptional location. With its impressive glass facade and wave-like rooftop the Elbphilharmonie rises up from the former Kaiserspeicher building on the western tip of the HafenCity. But that’s not all: It’s a landmark, a tourist point of interest, a hotel and a residential complex at the same time.

Particularly remarkable is that there is an atmosphere of well-being no matter where you enter the Elphi – this is thanks to Kampmann GmbH's genious trench heating units. Following failure of the original supplier to comply to the sound emission requirements; the Lingen (Ems) based manufacturing specialist for heating, cooling and ventilation systems was finally appointed.

Kampmann is renowned to produce unique solutions for the most complex use cases. This was proven once again by example of the Elphilharmonie. For this project a highly skilled team of engineers designed special Katherm HK trench units involving thorough testing and subsequent modifications within the company's modern Research and Development Centre (FEC). Numerous experiments and measurements according to ISO 3744-3746 and ISO 9614 were carried out in the in-house sound chamber to warrant optimum air floor, maximum output and lowest sound emissions. A real success as it turned out – the units delivered beyond expectations right after installation.

The secret of the success? Nowadays, the acoustic design plays a vital roll across all types of construction. In fact, Kampmann considers this as one of its guiding principles. In noise-sensitive spaces, such as hotel rooms, air conditioning needs to be as silent as possible, especially at night. In rehearsal rooms, however, it is not so much about maintaining the silence, but rather avoiding interferences with the music. The one and only thing musicians want to hear is their instruments.

Taking these and many other factors into account, Kampmann's units guarantee a feel good climate within the entire Elbhilharmonie. They are installed in every room with window facade. The order volume of around EUR 1.5 million underlines the dimension of the delivered products, which includes the Katherm HK 470 with two fan rows in 19 different lenghts (the standard type includes one fan row only). The second fan row enables operation at the lowest level, generating high output at minimum sound pressure levels. In addition, the Katherm HK was delivered with a width of 300 and one fan row. This model is also a special version because its design had to be 40 mm narrower due to the limited space available.

The first whisper-quiet Katherm trench units are visible right within the entrance area, including models in a curved design for heating and cooling – the most elegant and efficient way to control the climate from the floor. Katherm HK units are also to be found in the backstage-area of the Elbphilharmonie. In the Westin luxury hotel rooms and apartments, Katherm NK and Katherm QK units as well as Venkon Fan Coils are installed. In addition, Kampmann UniLine air curtains keep the cool breeze outside that comes off the river Elbe.

Overview of the delivered Kampmann products: 44 Sky-Living apartments: - The latest generation of Katherm HK trench heating units with supply air function in a special version with adapted frame witdh and height 244 Hotelrooms and suites: - Venkon Fan Coils with market-leading EC technology as well as Katherm NK and Katherm QK trench heating units

NDR media studio: - Katherm HK trench heating units for heating and cooling with supply air function

Foyer and backstage-area: - Katherm HK trench heating units for heating and cooling

The Westin Hamburg is located where port and city meet on the Elbe and within the Elbphilharmonie, an architectural landmark of the city.

The Westin Hamburg covers 19 floors of the eastern section of the building. The 205 rooms and 39 suites – no other hotel has more suites in the city – are all at least 40 metres above the Elbe. The floor-to-ceiling windows of the glass façade provide an incomparable view over the busy life of the port and the roofs of the city. From the Elbphilharmonie Rooms to the Eigner Suite, measuring 162 square metres and with its own balcony on the 19th floor – each of the nine room categories is a generous size. Their design is inspired by natural elements such as water, wood and wind, which connect well with all of the pillars of well-being in typical Westin style. Westin’s own bed creation, the Heavenly Bed, is legendary and has already won numerous awards.

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The Westin Hamburg – Above the gateway to the world It is regarded as the gateway to the world, is the biggest port in Germany and the third largest in Europe. But that’s not all that makes it so unusual: the port of Hamburg is the only large sea port that is situated in the heart of a city. The Westin Hamburg is located exactly where port and city meet in the current of the Elbe. On 4 November 2016, Hamburg’s unique new hotel will be opening under the direction of General Manager Dagmar Zechmann.

Façade of light The Westin Hamburg lies in the Elbphilharmonie building, the architectural landmark of the city – and soon to be its cultural landmark, too. The building was designed by Herzog & de Meuron. An impressive glass structure has been erected on top of the brick Kaispeicher A warehouse, in which ships’ cargo was once stored. The façade with its many sub-divisions, concave and convex surfaces, larger and smaller elements sometimes sparkles with silver in the sunshine, then appears golden or has a bluish tinge. Façade and roof look like the glistening surface of a body of water on which light and shadow dance.

Open space with a view The Westin Hamburg covers 19 floors of the eastern section of the building. The 205 rooms and 39 suites – no other hotel has more suites in the city – are all at least 40 metres above the Elbe. The floor-to-ceiling windows of the glass façade provide an incomparable view over the busy life of the port and the roofs of the city. From the Elbphilharmonie Rooms to the Eigner Suite, measuring 162 square metres and with its own balcony on the 19th floor – each of the nine room categories is a generous size. Their design is inspired by natural elements such as water, wood and wind, which connect well with all of the pillars of well-being in typical Westin style. Westin’s own bed creation, the Heavenly Bed, is legendary and has already won numerous awards. Well-being and relaxation are the priorities throughout the hotel.

A symbiosis of port tradition and modernism Guests can access the hotel via its own entrance or via Europe’s longest escalator. The tube takes you through a tunnel of light and colour to what was once the roof of the old Kaispeicher. At a height of 37 metres, the plaza located there offers a panorama over Hamburg and the gateway to the world. It covers virtually the entire area of the Elbphilharmonie building and, at 4,000 square metres, is almost as large as Hamburg’s Rathausmarkt (town hall square). The plaza is a link between the two worlds: the historic brick Kaispeicher and the modern glass building with concert halls and a hotel. From here, hotel guests can access the lobby, the Lobby Café, the hotel bar, the restaurant and the spa area.

From Kaispeicher to restaurant Where cocoa, coffee and tea were once stored in an area covering 19,000 square metres, the restaurant of The Westin Hamburg will soon be tempting its diners with exquisite delicacies. The concept, which is currently under development, will pick up on both regional and international influences, just as Hamburg is a traditional Hanseatic city and yet the gateway to the world. In contrast to the glass façade that offers guests a breathtaking view in their rooms or in the bar, diners are immersed in the atmosphere of the historic Kaispeicher from the moment they enter the restaurant. The windows are reminiscent of ship’s portholes and offer snapshots of port life. After they have eaten, guests can spend the rest of the evening over a sophisticated drink or two in the bar, which will be characterised by cosmopolitan flair and modern nautical charm. Ever present is the legendary view over the port of Hamburg, which at night unfolds a particularly magical combination of light and water. But the first coffee of the day is also served here as the sun rises, for the bar is open from early in the morning until late at night. All Platinum Members of the Starwood Preferred Guests rewards programme and guests who are staying in suites also have access to the exclusive Westin Club Lounge on the 19th floor.

Feel good and enjoy the view Dive in, take a breather and revitalise yourself: the day spa on the sixth floor welcomes hotel guests and Hamburg residents alike. In an area covering 1,300 square metres, the day spa offers a world of relaxation and escape from the stresses of everyday life. Treatment rooms for individuals and couples, a heated indoor pool, various saunas and steam baths, two accessible open-air loggias with a view over the Elbe and the port, a lounge, a relaxation room and a professional fitness area for the Westin Workout guarantee relaxation for body and soul. A private spa suite with massage room and steam shower rounds off the facilities.

“With The Westin Hamburg, we will have a new flagship in our portfolio, in which our brand philosophy of holistic well-being for our guests can be put into practice”, says Thomas Willms, Senior Vice President and Regional Director East and Central Europe of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Together with our long-standing partner Arabella Hospitality SE, we are proud to be a part of this important building of the century, which will set new standards in Hamburg’s hotel market. The Westin Hamburg is enhancing the Hanseatic city not only with a new hotel in a special setting. It will also be providing its guests and the residents of Hamburg with some unforgettable moments full of Hanseatic luxury in the new landmark of the North German metropolis.”

Arabella Hospitality SE, the tenant of the hotel in the Elbphilharmonie building, is a long-standing strategic partner of the international hotel company Starwood Hotels & Resorts, which in turn has a long-term management contract for The Westin Hamburg.

For this project, LINVISIBILE has already installed the doors for two model apartments, and by completion of the project will have provided a total of 445 highly tailored doors, in a variety of typologies, finishes and dimensions. In addition to furnishing our doors, LINVISIBILE offered a complete service experience supporting our clients in the design phase, transportation and installation.

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Introduction

LINVISIBILE is the lead manufacturer of interior flush to wall doors 100% made in Italy, with 30 years of experience delivering to our clientele products and services of exclusive design and elevated quality. Our business model is focused in offering a full service from support in the projecting phase to the installation on site; providing our customers all that’s necessary to create unique spaces, thanks to our wide experience in developing highly customized products of extraordinary design and materials.

Due to LINVISIBILE’s international mindset and experience, we have been honored to take part of some of the most exclusive developments in diverse areas of the globe. In this document, we are proud to showcase one of these endeavors and show you a token of what we are able to deliver. This mixed-use development involves concert halls above a renovated brick warehouse, that includes a 2,150-seat main auditorium, a recital hall, a Hotel, restaurants, a public plaza and 45 luxury residences decorated by Amsterdam based Designer Kate Hume; the Italian studio Citterio-Viel & Partners developed the interior architecture. This project is set to become the German city’s top cultural and residential destination.

The model apartment recently completed is located on the 18th level of the building; the design draws its inspiration from its context, with organic aesthetics, natural stone surfaces, curvaceous sofas and bespoke woodwork which demonstrates the designers approach to detailing and customization.

Furnishing specifications

For this project, LINVISIBILE has already installed the doors for two model apartments, and by completion of the project will have provided a total of 445 highly tailored doors, in a variety of typologies, finishes and dimensions. In addition to furnishing our doors, LINVISIBILE offered a complete service experience supporting our clients in the design phase, transportation and installation.

Product descriptions

BREZZA Vertical Pivot doors

This system is the patented door that lies flush with the wall and swivels open on a vertical axis, thanks to a sophisticated hidden pivot system. Available with or without stop, the door can rotate on itself up to 360 opening degrees, obtaining a very exciting effect of movement. Linvisibile Vertical Pivot system is ideal for panel walls made of innovative high-tech materials, allowing designers to express their own ideas on architectural and functional space.

It can be coated with almost any type of material (metal, stone, leather) to create special atmospheres, in a tasteful way. There are lacquered (glossy or matt) and wooden versions offered as well.

ALBA Hinged doors Linvisibile’s hinged system is our exclusive patented door, which is completely flush with the wall and reinterprets the traditional hinged opening; available in pull and push opening models. It’s distinguished by the use of concealed hinges and the absence of doorframes or jambs to achieve seamless continuity between wall and door.

It can be painted in the same finishing as the walls, becoming almost invisible. Or the door structure can be left visible, with only the panel forming part of the design continuum and the panel finishing. The system also can be coated with almost any type of material (metal, stone, leather) to create special atmospheres, in a tasteful way. There are lacquered (glossy or matt) and wooden versions offered as well.

MAREA Pocket doors Linvisibile presents the first Pocket door, which holds an unprecedented technological, functional and patent surplus value. An innovative product that revolutionizes the concept of assembly, handling and maintenance of sliding doors. It can be coated with almost any type of material (metal, stone, leather) to create special atmospheres, in a tasteful way. There are lacquered (glossy or matt) and wooden versions offered as well.

COCO – INSPIRED VENEER WITH TIMELESS BEAUTY

CoCo is a premium veneer in attractive warm shades of brown. It is produced from genuine wood using environmentally friendly processes. We use a gentle manufacturing technique that’s similar to the natural process that creates bog oak. In that preservation process, fossilized oak lay in a bog for millennia. The tannic acid in the wood lying in acidic anaerobic wetlands reacts with marsh gases to create the rich dark brown to black coloring. The wood’s structure and stability are also preserved.

In the making of CoCo, we accelerate the veneer’s natural change of color and stain the wood completely. Unlike smoked oak, CoCo can be produced in light and medium shades of brown. The environmentally friendly process creates premium veneer that contains no harmful substances. The veneer also remains supple as it is not exposed to extreme heat during processing.

CoCo veneer can be used anywhere, including work surfaces in the kitchen and tables in the dining room. The low emission rates allow an open surface area and require no special safety measures during veneer processing.

CoCo veneer is currently available in four warm shades of brown in oak:

(1)CoCo Taupe, (2)CoCo Cognac, (3)CoCo Coffee, (4)CoCo Nero, (5)CoCo Venezia: Vintage version with trendy cracks and branches. Colour and grain per log can differ.

We are involved with our bell plates.

The Elbphilharmonie on the Kaispeicher in the midst of Hamburg’s HafenCity marks a location that was known to the public but not really accessible. In the future it will become a new center of social, cultural and daily life not only for the people of Hamburg but for visitors from all over the world.

The Kaispeicher A was still in use as a warehouse until the end of the last century. This solid and weighty construction will now be put to new use: it will support the Philharmonic. It will now bear on top the load that it once carried within its walls. Our interest in the warehouse lies not only in its unexploited structural potential but also in its architecture. The robust, almost aloof architecture of the Kaispeicher provides a surprisingly ideal foundation for the new Philharmonic hall. It seems to be part of the landscape and not yet really part of the city, which is now spreading out to include the area. The harbor warehouses of the 19th century adopted the urban vocabulary of the city’s historical façades -- but not the Kaispeicher A. Despite the contextual choice of bricks as a building material, the façades of this massive and mighty warehouse are strikingly radical and abstract.

The new building has been extruded from the shape of the Kaispeicher. While rising above the brick block of the older building with an identical ground plan, the top and bottom of the new structure are fundamentally different from the calm and simple form of the warehouse below: the broad, undulating shape of the roof rises to a total height of 110 m at the Kaispitze (the tip of the peninsula), sloping down to the eastern end, where the roof is 30 m lower. The bottom of the new structure, on top of the warehouse, is a lively animated plaza, divided into zones defined by expansive vaulting, ranging from flat to very steep. An arch cut into the side wall affords views of the sky and spectacular, theatrical vistas across the river Elbe river and downtown Hamburg. Deep recesses cut into the building above the plaza provide views of the foyers on several levels.

In contrast to the stoic brick façade of the Kaispeicher, the Philharmonic, clad in variously curved and cut panels of glass, looks like an immense crystal, whose appearance keeps changing as it captures and combines reflections from the sky, the water and the city.

The main entrance to the Kaispeicher lies to the east. Curving slightly as it leads to the plaza, the elongated escalator that provides access cannot be seen in full from one end to the other. It is a spatial experience in itself, transporting users through the entire warehouse, passing a large panorama window and translating the spirit of the sweeping staircases in fin de siècle concert halls into a contemporary idiom.

Upon reaching the top of the Kaispeicher, visitors step onto a spacious terrace, a new plaza high above the city. Perched on top of the Kaispeicher, it is like a gigantic joint between the two elements of the structure and creates a new space for public use that also provides access to the foyer of the new concert hall.

The design of the Philharmonic is clearly a 21st century project that would have been inconceivable before. What has been retained is the fundamental idea of the Philharmonic as a space where orchestra and conductor are located in the midst of the audience and where the architecture and the arrangement of the tiers take their cue from the logic of the acoustic and visual perception of music, performers and audience. Here, however, that logic leads to another conclusion; the tiers extend higher into the overall space so that the tiers, walls, and ceiling form a homogeneous whole. The complex geometry of the hall unites organic flow with incisive, more static shapes. Rising vertically almost like a tent, the concert hall seats 2150 people to enjoy the pleasures of making and listening to music. Its towering shape defines the structure of the entire volume of the building and is correspondingly reflected in the silhouette of the building as a whole.

As a landmark visible from afar, the Elbphilharmonie will lend the horizontally oriented city an entirely new accent, symbolizing Hamburg’s foray into the new territory of the harbor area along the shores of the Elbe.