By Konzerthaus Berlin
Konzerthaus Berlin
Welcome to Gendarmenmarkt! In ensemble with the French and German Churches, the Konzerthaus Berlin is located in the heart of the city. Take a look behind the facade and become acquainted with the festive halls of our building.
Even if the external facade seems venerable and precisely corresponds to the designs of architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, the Konzerthaus Berlin was rebuilt in the GDR after its destruction in World War II and reopened in 1984. While the outer facade remained the same, the interior was completely redesigned, even though its artistic forms and details reflect Schinkel’s time.
This sight is always worth a visit: the Great Hall inspires with its faithfully rendered decorations in gold and red, 14 radiant chandeliers and sumptuously decorated ceiling. From the walls, busts of the 30 most influential composers in music history look down on the audience. The rectangular hall, colloquially referred to as a shoebox, seats about 1,700 spectators in the orchestra stalls and first and second balconies.
The Konzerthausorchester Berlin in the Great Hall by Marco BorggreveKonzerthaus Berlin
The Great Hall is the home of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin under principal conductor Christoph Eschenbach. The Konzerthausorchester Berlin performs around 100 concerts each season and thus influences the sound of our concert hall. Acoustically, the Great Hall is one of the best symphonic concert halls in the world. The reverberation time is only slightly higher than the values considered optimal by acoustics engineers.
It has occupied a prime spot in the Great Hall since the opening of the Konzerthaus in 1984: the organ built by Jehmlich Orgelbau Dresden. One of the most prestigious organs in Berlin, it has 74 registers, distributed over four manuals and pedals, allowing a variety of different timbers and an enormous stylistic repertoire, from baroque to modern. 5,811 single pipes can be operated in a combination system of 256 programmable combinations that was refurbished in 1994.
Chamber music concerts are held in our Small Hall – but also introductions for school classes visiting the Konzerthaus Berlin as part of our Junior Programme. Constructed in a rectangular shape like the Grand Hall, it surprises with its delicate tones in sky blue, pastel green and pink.
In 2003, the Werner Otto Hall was opened as the most state-of-the-art venue in the house. Designed by Cologne architect Peter Kulka, the hall was named after the patron and mail-order company founder Werner Otto. Acoustically speaking, the auditorium is ideal for contemporary concert and musical theatre performances, as it offers enormous flexibility: 132 lifting platforms can be moved independently of each other, enabling highly diverse stage formats.
The Ludwig van Beethoven Hall impresses with its bright ambiance. In addition to its festive, white marble, the two rows of Ionic columns are striking. References to music can be seen everywhere: numerous instruments are incorporated into the mural paintings and crown mouldings. The hall is mainly used for refreshments during breaks. Pre-concert talks also take place here.
The Carl Maria von Weber Hall is similar in composition to the Ludwig van Beethoven Hall, but is characterised by Corinthian columns, olive-green walls and gold embellishments. It was named after the composer, whose opera "Der Freischütz" premiered here in 1821. Like the Ludwig van Beethoven Hall, the Carl Maria von Weber Hall is also used for refreshments during the breaks.
The Music Club is our smallest performance venue and thanks to its wooden room design, differs greatly from the other venues. Some 80 visitors can be seated here. The space is primarily used for staged productions, readings and children’s performances. The "Nach(t)gespräche" series regularly takes place here: moderated post-concert talks with artists who have performed that evening.
The entrance hall is decorated with a magnificent marble décor and red carpets. The evening box office and the cloakroom are located here. From these points, the path leads into the side stairwells of the north and south wings.
The passage under the outside staircase originally served as a corridor for carriages and is therefore simply called the "carriage passageway". Today a bronze statuette commemorates the structure’s Prussian architect, Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
© Konzerthaus Berlin
