Philharmonie Berlin

Berlin, Germany

Hans Scharoun's design for Berlin's golden Philharmonie was highly controversial when the concert house opened in 1963. Since then, the stunning building has since become the model for numerous concert halls around the world.

Just steps away from Potsdamer Platz, the Philharmonie is at the heart of the Kulturforum center for the arts, and, indeed, of the city itself. The world‐famous Berliner Philharmoniker have their home here, and numerous guest orchestras, chamber groups, and soloists perform in the main hall and in the smaller adjacent Kammermusiksaal. Both spaces put music at the focus of attention, with the concert podium in the center of the hall and the audience seated in irregular terraced blocks surrounding the stage on all sides. The remarkable acoustics and sightlines of the Philharmonie Berlin make is one of the world's top venues for classical music.