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

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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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