CLASSIC UP CLOSE

The Andermatt Concert Hall is a true jewel. Its architecture creates unusual perspectives and offers views of the alpine world. At the same time, it is characterised by an architectural openness in that it does not distinguish between the backstage and the audience areas, and there is no barrier formed by any raised stage. This in turn leads to a special degree of familiarity. There is hardly any other event space of this size in which the audience can get as close to the musicians — and thus to the music itself — as in the Andermatt Concert Hall. The seating in the hall is flexible. For symphony concerts, the seats for the audience are usually tiered so that everyone has a good view of what’s happening. For more intimate chamber concerts, the seating in the body of the hall is not tiered, allowing the audience to be at eye level with the musicians. At the “Stubete” jam sessions, small tables and a catering service help to create an informal, cosy atmosphere.

The Andermatt Concert Hall was inaugurated in 2019 with a brilliant concert by the Berlin Philharmonic. This world-class forum for music represents a further showpiece for Andermatt. The Andermatt Concert Hall was designed by Studio Seilern Architects, led by Christina Seilern and realised by Andermatt Swiss Alps and BESIX, Belgium. In 2022, the jury of the Architizer Competition named the Andermatt Concert Hall the winner in the category “cultural halls/theatres”.

Kahle Acoustics and Ducks Scéno, who were responsible for the acoustics and the auditorium design, also designed the Cité de la musique — Philharmonie de Paris. London-based Studio Seilern Architects also designed, among others, the Annenberg Centre for the Performing Arts at Wellington College in the UK. As former head of the London branch of Rafael Viñoly Architects, Christina Seilern was responsible for major projects, including 20 Fenchurch in London, the Curve Performing Arts Centre in Leicester, the Mahler 4 Office Tower in Amsterdam, and the Wageningen University Plant Research Centre in the Netherlands.