Hamburg: Nordex and Elbphilharmonie Concert
When visiting Hamburg, there was an obvious difference in urban identity when compared to Freiburg. I often heard it be compared to Boston in the United States. In terms of specific architecture, it was interesting to learn that buildings had been built in a similar style to those in Chicago. I found a sense of comfort in the fact that these two regions, my home and a place thousands of miles away were related in some ways.
During the Hamburg duration of our trip, we visited Nordex, one of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers. It was interesting to see the training facility for the maintenance of the wind turbines and to learn about the company’s sustainability-related focus topics such as environmental protection, climate change, and sustainable products. Nordex also compares its lifecycle assessments to competitors, recently scoring in the middle for climate change impact. This score is due to the complex composition of the turbines where Nordex can recycle 80% — 90% of the turbine’s steel but cannot recycle the custom-built turbine mold made of wood and plastic. I was especially interested in this lifecycle assessment information as it considers the company’s holistic environmental impact. From data analysis, their main contribution to global warming potential comes from Scope 3 materials and manufacturing, a common thread amongst companies that must be addressed. Interestingly, a Nordex employee had stated that they are now hiring an employee to focus on human rights within the company, an imperative position due to their globally extensive supply chain from Mexico and Turkey to Colombia, South Africa, and China. With this hiring, I hope to see Nordex exercise intersectional environmentalism where there is no separation between environmental and human protection.
On a more cultural note, we attended the Elbphilharmonie concert in Hamburg to see NDR Vokalensemble and Ensemble Schirokko Hamburg directed by Klaas Stok. The building resembled a beautiful glass-blown cheese grater (a comparison that I could not unsee once I was told). It was a lovely concert with unexpected elements compared to my experience going to similar performances in the United States. For instance, there was an emphasis on the movement of sound as a group of performers was placed on the second level amongst the audience rather than on the ground-level stage. Additionally, a performer would move backstage and sing so that his voice projected in a particular way. This direction of the performance inspired a certain attention to detail that was necessary to find the source of the music throughout the concert.
