Elbphilharmonie

When I visited Hamburg in 2014, Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie was still under construction.  Last September marked my first visit to this magnificent concert hall since its completion in 2017.

HafenCity

Snapshots of HafenCity, Hamburg 2014:

Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie is now planned to be opened in 2017.

Elbphilharmonie im Bau

Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie is still under construction but it's already been getting a lot of buzz worldwide ever since its design was first proposed, and I have faithfully paid my visit every time I came to Hamburg.  Since I'm leaving Hamburg early this morning, I had to go and see it up close again last evening.

I have to admit that I didn't take the last picture.  I found it outside their construction site.  By the way, I am heading to København today - my first time ever in Scandinavia.

Entangled loops

(Anyone please, correct me if I'm wrong - I think it is) Lars Englund at Museum im Kulturspeicher, Würzburg 2010:

Herzog & de Meuron's 2008 National Stadium (the Bird's Nest), Beijing:

Hafen Hamburg

I can't believe my European trip this summer is finishing soon.  I'll be leaving Hamburg tonight and flying to London England, where I'll stay for a few more days before heading back to Toronto.  My last day in Hamburg is rather relaxed.  The day started with a ferry cruise in Hafen Hamburg.  My sights are mainly on architecture around the harbour.

At Altona:

BRT Architekten's 2006 Bürohaus Dockland, Hamburg:

Genkel Architekten's 2009 Neubau Hauptverwaltung Unilever in HafenCity, Hamburg:

Herzog & de Meuron's 2012 (to be completed) Elbphilharmonie in HafenCity, Hamburg:

At Speicherstadt:

In addition to all the architecture, I also saw some art in the harbour.  Kunstverein Hamburg has Bulgarian artist Plamen Dejanoff's installation The Bronze House erected right by the Unilever building.  It is the facade of an architectural design composed entirely of caste bronze modules.  Five other similar structures are currently being constructed in the Bulgarian city Veliko Tarnovo.

Dejanoff at Kunstverein Hamburg (offsite in HafenCity), 2011:

The (un)official architects of Basel

This is my last day in Basel.  How can I leave Basel without mentioning anything about the unofficial architects of the city - Herzog & de Meuron?  This world-renowned Basel-based team has more than a dozen projects built here.  Although their architectural styles might have developed over the years, their articulation through materiality has been consistent.

Rossetti Institut für Spitalpharmazie completed in 1998:

Zentralstellwerk completed in 1999:

Schaulager completed in 2003:

Elsässertor completed in 2005:

VitraHaus completed in 2010:

Südpark Dienstleistungs und Bürofläche to be completed in 2012:

Vitra

Another architecture day...

The campus of Vitra Design just outside Basel in Weil am Rhein Germany has probably the highest concentration of contemporary star architecture in the world.  There is so much here to see.  I joined a tour of the campus in order to see all the buildings in close range.  I was there for six hours and still reluctant to leave ...

Getting the most of the best to the greatest number of people for the least. - Charles Eames

Frank Gehry's 1989 Vitra Design Museum:

Zaha Hadid's 1993 Fire Station:

Tadao Ando's 1993 Conference Pavilion:

Richard Buckminster Fuller patented, Thomas C. Howard designed Dome, 2000:

Herzog & de Meuron's 2010 VitraHaus:

There are also buildings by Alvaro Siza, Nicholas Grimshaw and SANAA (construction in progress) but they are not open to the public.