Your Guide to Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

History

The Elbphilharmonie stands tall on the shoulders of an iconic Neo-Gothic warehouse built in 1875 — Kaiser Speicher. Kaiserspeicher was the first warehouse in Hamburg and was considered an architectural masterpiece when the city became an international trade center. Unfortunately, the original building was destroyed during World War II, and by 1963, the area was detonated and Kaiser Speicher A was constructed in its place. This new building served as a storage space for tea, cocoa, and tobacco, but was eventually no longer in use with the growing popularity of container transports.

In 2007, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg as we now know it began construction on the same site as Kaiserspeicher A. While a majority of Kaiser Speicher A was gutted, it served as the base for the Hamburg concert hall and the dazzling curved glass facade was added on top. The iconic landmark is designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron and took over a decade to be designed and constructed. After a difficult couple of years of construction delays and budgeting issues, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg finally opened doors to visitors in January 2017. Despite the delays, the concert hall has already brought in over half a million visitors in just three years of opening and is touted to be the biggest attraction in Hamburg.

Visitor Tips

• Visitors are required to wear a face mask and maintain a distance of 1.5 m from other guests for the duration of their guided tour. Please note that face visors are not considered face coverings.
• While entry to the Plaza is free of cost, you can make a reservation by paying €2 online and skipping the queue.
• You can access the Grand and Recital Halls only via stairs and lifts from the Plaza on the 8th floor. The hall entrances are situated on floors 12, 13, 15, and 16, while the Recital Hall entrance is on the 10th floor.
• If you’re visiting the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg for a concert, arrive at least two hours in advance to fully explore the landmark.
• Please note that food and drinks cannot be taken into the halls. If you wish to eat something, please head over to the bars located on all levels of the Grand Hall and Recital Hall before the performance or during the interval.
• Toilet facilities are in the foyer areas of each corresponding hall. Patrons with mobility disabilities and wheelchair users can use the B lifts located at the entrance of the Elbphilharmonie Shop to access the toilet.
• If you need to withdraw cash, a Euronet ATM is located in the entrance area of The Westin Hamburg hotel on the ground floor.