ABSTRACT
The original home of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) – a converted ice rink – was destroyed by British bombers in 1944. After a peripatetic existence for over a decade, an architectural competition for a new concert hall for the company was announced in August 1956. It was to be situated in the vicinity of the Academy for Music at the Bundesalle in West Berlin. Hans Scharoun was awarded the first prize for his innovative concept. The basic shape of the Philharmonie consists of three superimposed, concentrically rotated pentagons, now the logo of the orchestra. A southern building for administration, rehearsal rooms and other facilities is attached to the main building. The staircases and terraces embed the auditorium and give structure to the building. The auditorium is conceived as a valley. The orchestra sits at the base, surrounded by forcefully ascending plateaus and slopes.
