A pearl on Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Opera House was loathed during the time of its construction for lengthy delays and enormous cost blowouts. The Opera House today however is still marvelled for its architectural significance and beauty. It has become a landmark for Sydney and a landmark for the arts. Perhaps this is a broader metaphor for the arts that are too often critisised for costs, and in years to come eventually marvelled at for their brilliance.
The Sydney Opera House is not alone in its ability to raise controversy during construction. I've come across a few concert halls lately that to me stand out as architectural masterpieces that are fortunate enough today to have acoustics that match the brilliance of the exterior.
Despite being a precarious time for many orchestras, particularly in the USA, this seems to have had little effect on the number of new and renovated concert halls under construction. Perhaps the importance of a venue has never been more important in performing arts organisations attempting to attract new audiences.
Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg, Germany)
- Incorporates a 2150-seat Grand Hall, 550-seat recital hall, 150-seat experimental music room and a 37 meter high public plaza overlooking the harbour
- Completion expected in 2017, four years later than originally predicted
- Significant delays and costs blowouts with the total costs rising from €77m to €600m
