Hamburg in Concert
An evening of contemporary music at the Elbphilharmonie
The Elbphilharmonie protrudes into the current like a ship cut out of glass. She bathes in pride and the muddy waters of the Elbe river, with an architecture expressing mastery and madness. The structure holds little interest in the world as it moves beyond the need for representation. Since construction began in 2007, life has changed. Democracies and economies in Western societies barely make it through a day without news of destabilization.
The Elbphilharmonie construction was completed in November 2016, after many delays and at staggering costs. It may have been a different time then. According to numbers released by the Hamburg senate, the calculated budget of 77 million Euros increased to 866 million Euros in total. 90% of this came out of the city budget, and in all likelihood, the actual costs may have been even higher. Consequently, the nearly decade-long building period and aftermath allow for heated arguments on all fronts.
Additional private equity sources remain unknown. And in terms of the city budget, one is left wondering what clever accounting freed an extra 789 million Euros for building purposes. Hamburg residents and visitors are weary of the overpriced glass ship, repeatedly ranked among the top most expensive buildings in Europe. It conjures…
