Hamburg has picked a spectacular design for its planned new opera house which will rise on its waterfront, near the Elbe Tower and the Elbphilharmonie concert hall.
An independent jury unanimously selected the winning design by Bjarke-Ingels-Group (BIG). Their concept envisions a public roof landscape that opens in all directions – towards the city and the River Elbe – offering a walkable experience with panoramic views of HafenCity and the harbor and a planted spiral ramp of rooftop gardens, accessible to the public.
Over the next two years the plan will be refined in cooperation with the city, the Kühne-Foundation which is providing much of the finance, and the Hamburg State Opera which will be the main tenant, along with the Hamburg Ballet and other arts organizations.
BIG says “The design is conceived as a landscape of concentric terraces, radiating outward from the central performance hall like expanding soundwaves across the water.
Rather than a singular façade, the opera becomes a walkable topography, accessible from all sides and seamlessly merging with the surrounding park.” Visitors will be able to enter by water, through the park or by street.
