Glass façade of the Elbphilharmonie by Silva Wischeropp

About "Glass façade of the Elbphilharmonie"

by Silva Wischeropp

About the artwork

I discovered this glass façade in the harbour city of Hamburg, directly on the Elbphilharmonie concert hall building.

This photo was taken in the early evening hours on 25 April 2017 with the Nikon D90 (NIKKOR lens 80.0 - 200.0mm f/2.8).
The Elbphilharmonie (also known as the Elphi for short) is a concert hall in Hamburg that was completed in November 2016. It was planned with the aim of creating a new landmark for the city and a "cultural monument for all".
The 110-metre-high building in the HafenCity district is located on the right bank of the Norderelbe at the tip of Großer Grasbrook between the mouths of the Sandtorhafen and Grasbrookhafen harbour basins. It was built incorporating the shell of the former Kaispeicher A (built in 1963). A modern structure with a glass façade, reminiscent of sails, water waves, icebergs or a quartz crystal, was placed on this base. The location at Kaiserhöft is characterised by the former industrial use of the port and the neo-Gothic brick architecture of the Speicherstadt.
The Elbphilharmonie stands on the former Kaiserhöft, which was created by straightening Johns' Corner in 1865 as part of the harbour construction measures to create an open tidal harbour. On this quay tip between Sandtorhafen and Grasbrookhafen, the then hydraulic engineering director Johannes Dalmann built the Kaiserspeicher on Kaiserkai in 1875, which was renamed Dalmannkai in 1893. The west tower with its time ball was the harbour's landmark for a long time. The main building was badly damaged during the Second World War, only the tower remained intact.
The ruins were blown up in 1963. Kaispeicher A was built between 1963 and 1966 according to designs by Werner Kallmorgen. It is an example of post-war modernist architecture in Hamburg. The building was used to store cocoa, tobacco and tea. The three half-gantry cranes at the eastern end of the Elbe quay, renovated by a group of friends, are evidence of this period.