Hamburg’s Concert Hall Finally Opens
Initial plans by the Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron were priced at 186 million euros (about $197 million), with the opening scheduled for 2010. After a succession of delays, the final bill for the city came to 798 million euros (about $843 million), leading to political debates and public protests. With the inaugural concert coming on Wednesday and featuring the NDR Symphony Orchestra, newly renamed the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the city hopes to prove both the cost and the wait were worth it. Listen to the inaugural concert here at noon EST today.
