For now, apart from the fencing, there is little to see on site. The plans, however, give an indication of what the future extension of the Philharmonie will look like.
At first glance, the design could suggest that the Philharmonie is getting a smaller sibling. Conceived in the same style and designed by renowned French architect Christian de Portzamparc, the additional building will complement the existing structure.
The new building will house a multifunctional hall intended for smaller formats, as well as conferences and workshops. It will also be given a more specific name in the future. The project does not include the construction of another concert hall, but rather a flexible space capable of accommodating a variety of formats.
At the current location of the restaurant, there will be a professional kitchen in the future, and the new restaurant will be located at street level, on Place de l’Europe, beneath the new hall.
A cafeteria is also planned for people working at the Philharmonie, the technical and administrative teams, as well as the musicians and visiting orchestras, who will have the possibility to eat on site before or after a concert, or at lunchtime.
In order to support the entire load of the new building, a shaft will be constructed and the basement will also house storage areas and other restaurant facilities. These are, of course, elements that will not be visible to the public afterwards.
It will be possible to access the new hall from the outside, on the south side, via the existing stairs, or from the current building through a glass tunnel, or via a staircase and a panoramic lift passing through the restaurant up to the hall of the new venue.
The construction work also has an impact on the existing building, and in some respects more than was initially planned. First of all, during the demolition and removal of the pillars, the noise was audible in the halls, even though they are extremely well insulated.
So far, construction work has only had to be interrupted very rarely, except for example when the orchestra was recording and it was not possible to use the jackhammer outside.
The advantage is that the majority of the programme takes place in the evening or at the weekend and can continue as normal. The new construction is expected to be completed inn September 2027.
