The Plaza at the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany, has now welcomed a total of 25 million visitors. Eight years after its opening, the public viewing platform continues to draw large crowds – more than three million visitors annually.
Up to 17,000 people a day make their way to Hamburg’s HafenCity to take in views of the city and port from the 37m-high platform. Located between the historic brick base and the glass structure above, the public viewing area allows visitors to walk all the way around the Elbphilharmonie.
At the centre of the Plaza, a light well gives a view to the concert hall foyers above on floors 12 to 16. A popular way to reach the Plaza is via the Tube, an 82m-long curved escalator that runs through the Kaispeicher warehouse and up to a panoramic window. From there, a second, short escalator takes visitors to the Plaza on the eighth floor. Spanning some 4,000m² in total, the space is around the same size as Hamburg’s famous Rathausmarkt.
“25 million visitors is an incredible number,” said Christoph Lieben-Seutter, general director of the Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle Hamburg. “The Plaza has become a vibrant, welcoming space that draws people from all over the world, encourages them to stay a while, and gets them curious about what’s happening inside the concert halls. I’m inspired every day by how positive and full of energy the mood is here.”
Open daily from 10am to midnight, the Elbphilharmonie Plaza is accessible to everyone, not only concertgoers and hotel guests. Entry is free, though the venue said queues can be long at peak times. To avoid waiting, tickets can be pre-booked online or on site for €3 per ticket.
