The building was designed by the architects von Gerkan, Marg und Partner (gmp) in close collaboration with Yasuhisa Toyota and his team from Nagata Acoustics, the leading acoustics experts who are also responsible for the Elbphilharmonie. NUSSLI CEO Andy Böckli describes the construction project as follows: "The particularly demanding requirements of the audience in terms of atmospheric design, comfort, and sound quality for this temporary venue were the greatest challenge."
The five-story structure consists of a steel shell made of system material and prefabricated wooden modules for the interior fittings. The 60,000 m3 concert hall in a dark design can accommodate approximately 1800 audience members. Principal conductor Valery Gergiev is delighted: "With the Isarphilharmonie, we will be inaugurating a pioneering concert hall with excellent acoustics." Mayor Dieter Reiter is also more than satisfied with the large-scale cultural project. "With the Isarphilharmonie, Munich is getting one of the most extraordinary temporary buildings of our time."
Reliable implementation
Since March 2020, Roland Gebhardt, Director of Special Projects in the NUSSLI Group and his team have been working to complete the new venue on schedule, which is intended primarily as a temporary solution. Even before its opening, it has already received great acclaim. The specialists in cultural and event construction have experience with large-scale construction projects and working under great pressure to meet tight deadlines. But the Gasteig HP8 project is special even for them, as Roland Gebhardt describes: "The Gasteig in Sendling is a highly complex building with countless sub-projects and processes running in parallel. In addition, space is at a premium, making extremely sophisticated logistics necessary. And in times of Corona, having little space requires even more planning to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the construction."
Sustainability
The Isarphilharmonie is planned as a concert hall for five years. Although designed for interim use, it meets all the requirements that also apply to a permanent building. Hence, it is quite possible that the building with excellent acoustics will continue to be used for concerts and other events when the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Isarphilharmonie plays in the city center again one day.
Building G, Building K and Hall X
For Roland Gebhardt and his team, the opening of the Isarphilharmonie is not the end of the Gasteig project. NUSSLI is also responsible for the completion of the three other modular buildings on the Sendling site, into which the Munich City Library, the Munich Adult Education Center and the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts will be moving into by the end of the year. The Gasteig HP8 in the Sendling district is not just a temporary building of superlatives, but will also be a cultural center that is definitely worth a visit.