Variety, quality and accessibility are primary criteria by which the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall measures its musical profile. As a concert hall of the 21st century, engaging in animated dialogues with classical music masterpieces is as much in focus as the discovery of new sounds.
Architects Pierre de Meuron, Jacques Herzog and Ascan Mergenthaler have been working on the Elbphilharmonie since 2003. Herzog and de Meuron established their office in Basel in 1978 and have since then designed and completed major projects such as the Tate Modern in London, the Alliance Arena in Munich and the National Stadium in Peking for the 2008 Olympic Games.
The renowned Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota is responsible for the perfect acoustics in the Elbphilharmonie. His company, Nagata Acoustics, has a long list of satisfied clients, including Suntory Hall in Tokyo and the Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles. Toyota's goal for the Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall: the hall should assist the natural acoustics of the music but also be sensitive to electronic sound systems. In this way, audiences can also enjoy rock concerts in the Elbphilharmonie. Toyota believes that the Elbphilharmonie will rank among the best concert halls in the world acoustically.