COBIAX | Elbphilharmonie
2016

Elbphilharmonie

A cultural monument like a natural phenomenon

Project countryGermany

Project locationHamburg

Builder Elbphilharmonie Hamburg Bau GmbH & Co. KG

Architect Herzog & de Meuron

Structural engineerWGG Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure

Executing companyHochtief

To begin with, project developer, Alexander Gérard, had an idea. The final result is a building, that works like a natural force: The Elbphilharmonie in HafenCity, Hamburg, has a radiance that reaches well beyond the borders of Germany, and even Europe.

After construction of the building was completed in November 2016, more than 850,000 people attended concerts, 4.5 million people went sightseeing, to marvel at the impressive architecture, and 70,000 people participated in the guided tours of the concert hall – all in the first year of operation, 2017.

The construction and design of the building are anything but mundane. Originally, the building was meant to be based on the storehouse of the original philharmonic orchestra house; today, the only remaining constituents of the new building are the facade and parts of the old foundations. The baseplate is laid on 1732 posts, which were rammed deep into the bed of the Elbe.

The Elbphilharmonie has 26 storeys, and it is a total of 110 meters in height. In view of the number of storeys, it is understandable that the Cobiax voided flat plate slabs are of considerable value for the building.

Thanks to the Cobiax technology, it was possible to limit the entire weight of the Elphi, as the Hamburgers fondly refer to their new landmark, to 200,000 tons – only by reducing the weight of the slabs and the resultant reduction in the load of the entire building, made the construction of such an elegant building possible.

Impressive. Versatile. Sustainable.

Free scopes thanks to void-forming technology.

The Elbphilharmonie is an example of impressive freedom in construction. In the case of difficult construction surfaces, e.g. river beds and banks, or existing foundations that have to be used, the weight-reduction achieved with Cobiax voided flat plate slabs enables the construction of buildings that would not be realisable with conventional solid concrete slabs.

The entire building can be designed more flexibly; the options for use become very versatile. Greater areas can be spanned without the need for additional columns or beams, and the building gains grandeur, while the overall weight is reduced.

Besides the aesthetic and structural advantages, the ecological advantages of the Cobiax Technology also come to fruition: Thanks to the drastically reduced amount of concrete in the slab construction, the CO2 emissions greatly reduced, and considerably less building sand – a resource that is becoming increasingly scarce worldwide – is required.

In a large construction, like the Philharmonie, the logistic advantages also play a decisive role. Less concrete used in the construction also means: Fewer concrete mixer trucks driving to and from the construction site; the traffic in and around the Hamburg metropolitan area is significantly reduced.

Superbly transparent acoustics

Wider scopes have better acoustics.

As an isolated unit, the concert hall is completely separated from the rest of the building, in order to ensure the unique acoustics, without any interruption from the surrounding environment. Due to the use of Cobiax technology, the construction unit only weighs 12,500 tons; the weight is supported by 342 steel spring packages on the ground and 34 to the top storey, thereby separating the hall from the rest of the building in the deep frequency range.

In order to achieve acoustic neutrality in the middle and high frequency range as well, 10,000 tiles of highly compact plaster and old paper were installed in the walls and ceilings; they reduce the echo in the hall and disperse the sound optimally.

The result is superbly transparent acoustics, making the large concert hall of the Elbphilharmonie suitable for the greatest performers in the world: It is very unforgiving when it comes to mistakes, but it turns a perfect music performance into an incomparable experience for the listeners.


Image 1: © shutterstock.com/be/g/barnimages | Images 2 and 3: © shutterstock.com/be/g/faxus


More Projects

2024

MTW at Ulm University

Ulm

In a new research building costing 73 million Euros and with 5000 m2 of floor space, researchers from medicine and the natural sciences will be able to pool their expertise from 2024 onwards.

Learn more.
2024

Elementary School Senftenauerstraße

Munich

A modern elementary school for students from six grades is being built with sustainable Cobiax void former technology.

Learn more.
2024

Striking building in Athens city center

Athens

Eight-storey residential building with a wide range of retail on ground floor.

Learn more.
2024

Hertipark

Brunnen

A service and logistics building is being constructed on the former industrial site as a modern superstructure with a wide range of possible uses.

Learn more.
2023

Heidelberg University Auditorium

Heidelberg

In the heart of the campus, open on all sides and built sustainably with Cobiax.

Learn more.
2023

Administration building for the German Bundestag

Berlin

A Bundestag administration building is being built in Berlin. A lot of glass requires little weight. Cobiax was the logical choice.

Learn more.
2023

ProSiebenSat.1 New Campus

Unterföhring

Sustainability at its best: LEED certification in gold

Learn more.
2023

New headquarters of Raiffeisenbank

Savosa

State-of-the-art sustainability criteria through Minergie-Eco certification.

Learn more.
2023

Tbilisi Medical Center

Tbilisi

The multifunctional center is a large complex project and includes, in addition to the hospital building, an exhibition hall, a library and a café.

Learn more.
2023

Apartment buildings with underground parking

Esslingen

Another perfect match of architecture and Cobiax: the characteristic wide cantilevered balconies could only be efficiently implemented thanks to the weight reduction provided by the Cobiax void formers.

Learn more.
2023

Exhibition Hall 5

Frankfurt am Main

Conference services remarkably improved – in a metal dress

Learn more.
2023

Hafenpark Quartier South

Frankfurt am Main

Directly on the Main River, next to the new headquarters of the European Central Bank, the “Hafenpark Quartier” is being developed in Frankfurt’s Eastend district. Cobiax is being used to build the towers, which will contain several hundred apartments.

Learn more.

News

All the news from the world of construction
Wider Scopes as an obligation
Cobiax is more than just a brand. The catch phrase “Wider Scopes” extends far beyond the possibilities for modern slab technology. It is a commitment to providing more room for play for people, in the scopes and spaces in which they live and work.
Learn more

Newsletter

Never miss out on any news again. Click on the button below to register for our newsletter.

Cobiax Newsletter.

Become a part of something bigger?

Career and development at the innovation champion.

Vacancies