Raising the roof: Christina Seilern completes Andermatt concert hall
It started with a box. Egyptian developer Samih Sawiris had always envisaged a conference centre as part of his CHF1 billion property development on the edge of Andermatt in the Swiss Alps, but after the shell of the building was already complete, it struck him that it might also double up as a high-end concert hall. The only problem was that the shell was a windowless, underground a 2,000 cubic metre concrete box, better suited for a nuclear bunker than a performance of Beethoven’s Fifth. Who to call?
After considering a range of architects, Sawiris asked Christina Seilern of Studio Seilern Architects (whose performing arts centre for Wellington College we recently featured) to take it on. Seilern was able to persuade him to raise the roof – quite literally – taking part of the lid off the bunker and extending a canopy above it, which not only allowed daylight to fill the space but also transformed the acoustics. From outside the only sign of the hall is a small pavilion, whose canted roof is supported by leaning columns. Up close, though, the curved glass screen beneath the roof reveals the expansive interior beneath your feet.
The hall itself is wider than it is deep, with the stage below the glass screen of the pavilion. Its basic rectangular form is cleverly softened by a complex crystalline pattern of extended triangles that Seilern compares to origami, but which also help reflect sound to create a well-balanced and natural acoustic.
Seilern’s approach was triumphantly vindicated on 16 June, when no less than the Berlin Philharmonic (arguably the world’s finest orchestra) gave the opening concert to great acclaim. An ambitious programme for 2019-20 follows, with appearances from big names such as Daniel Barenboim as well as a new generation concert series. Few concrete boxes can have been transformed quite so stylishly.
INFORMATION
studioseilern.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Inside The Met’s magical ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ exhibition
On the evening of the Met Gala 2024, Wallpaper* takes a tour of The Met’s latest Costume Institute exhibition, ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’, a multi-sensory journey of sight, smell and touch
By Tilly Macalister-Smith Published
-
Olympic Torch Relay Cauldron by Mathieu Lehanneur: 'the object which unites our energies'
Mathieu Lehanneur unveiled his design for the Olympic Torch Relay Cauldron for Paris 2024 as the Torch Relay prepares to make its debut in Marseille on 8 May
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Alternate worlds and end of days: Pierre Huyghe in Venice
Pierre Huyghe delves into dystopia with 'Liminal', at Palazzo Grassi’s Punta della Dogana in Venice
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
Christian de Portzamparc’s Dior Geneva flagship store dazzles and flows
Dior’s Geneva flagship by French architect Christian de Portzamparc has a brand new, wavy façade that references the fashion designer's original processes using curves, cuts and light
By Herbert Wright Published
-
An Uetikon house embraces minimalism, light, and its Swiss lake views
This Uetikon home by Pablo Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados (PPAA) sets itself apart from traditional Swiss housing, with a contemporary design that connects with nature
By Tianna Williams Published
-
CERN Science Gateway: behind the scenes at Renzo Piano’s campus in Geneva
CERN Science Gateway by Renzo Piano Building Workshop announces opening date in Switzerland, heralding a new era for groundbreaking innovation
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Herzog & de Meuron’s SIP Main Campus weaves together nature and sculptural concrete
SIP Main Campus, a new workspace by Herzog & de Meuron, completes on the Swiss-French border
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Studio Tropicana, Switzerland and Italy: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023
Based in Switzerland and Italy, Studio Tropicana is part of the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Heir lift: a Swiss architect rebuilds a family legacy in St Moritz
By Sophie Lovell Published
-
Torus House floats over Chiba prefecture’s natural landscape
Torus House by Noriaki Hanaoka Architecture is perched floating above a hillside in Japan's Chiba prefecture
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
Super Trouper: ABBA Arena is the world’s largest demountable temporary venue
Entertainment architects Stufish create ABBA Arena, a temporary structure to house the legendary music group's London spectacle
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated