Andermatt in the canton of Uri, at the northern end of the Saint Gotthard Pass, does not boast a rich spa history like Gstaad. However, in the 21st century, the town, which was in crisis after the closure of the military base, is actively developing thanks to the investments of the Egyptian developer Sami Sawiris. Its goal is to transform Andermatt into a year-round resort, as well as to increase its existing popularity among ski and freeride enthusiasts. In addition to the construction of hotels, housing and a golf course, Sawiris also conceived a cultural component - a concert hall in the center of the new development.
The basis for the project of Christina Seilern's office was the already existing underground space - the conference and banquet hall for the nearby Radisson Blu Hotel Reussen. The architects raised the level of the roof, increasing the volume of the concrete "box" from 2000 m3 to 5340 m3, which made it possible to achieve high-quality acoustics. The capacity of the hall with an area of 2072 m2 is 663 spectators and a full-fledged symphony orchestra of 75 musicians. If necessary, the first nine rows can be easily removed, turning the space in front of the stage into an area for an exhibition or a gala dinner. The project budget is 11 million Swiss francs.
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zooming 1/4 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Roland Halbe
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zooming 2/4 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Roland Halbe
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zooming 3/4 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Roland Halbe
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zooming 4/4 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Roland Halbe
The high roof not only ensured the sound quality (Kahle Acoustics were responsible for the acoustics, the Ducks Scéno were responsible for the stage arrangement: both were involved in Jean Nouvel's Paris Philharmonic). The glazed facade illuminated the interior with sunlight, allowed viewers to see the landscape of an alpine valley, and passers-by to look into the hall from above. The location of the foyer behind the stage, although due to the previous project (it is on this side that the entrance is located), brought the musicians entering the hall and the audience closer together.
Acoustic panels suspended from the ceilings, similar to clouds, are clearly visible from the outside and are designed to arouse the curiosity of townspeople and tourists. In addition to the “natural” acoustics provided by the hall's shape reminiscent of origami, there is also an electro-acoustic system designed for large musical groups and “loud” works.
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zooming 1/6 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Kanipak Photography
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zooming 2/6 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Roland Halbe
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zooming 3/6 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Roland Halbe
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zooming 4/6 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Roland Halbe
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zooming 5/6 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Roland Halbe
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zooming 6/6 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Roland Halbe
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zooming 1/4 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Kanipak Photography
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zooming 2/4 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Roland Halbe
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zooming 3/4 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Kanipak Photography
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zooming 4/4 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Kanipak Photography
At the opening concert, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Konstantinos Karidis performed works by Mozart and Shostakovich. The first season of the concert hall includes guest performances at the Lucerne Festival, the Florentine New Generation Festival, as well as its own concert program.
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zooming 1/3 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Roland Halbe
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zooming 2/3 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Roland Halbe
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zooming 3/3 Andermatt Concert Hall Photo © Kanipak Photography
