Concert halls are places where art comes alive, so it makes sense that their exteriors should be designed accordingly. Throughout the world, many cities have placed great emphasis on the exteriors of their concert halls and opera houses. Here are some of the best!
Norway – Oslo Opera House
The national opera theatre of Norway and the home of The Norwegian National Opera Ballet, Oslo’s opera house is a stunning display of angles, Italian marble and pristine white granite. It is the largest cultural building in Norway and boasts over 1000 rooms that cover an area of 38,500 square metres.
Denmark – Copenhagen Concert Hall
Scandinavia is renowned for its design skills, so it’s no wonder that there is another offering from this part of the world. Designed by Jean Nouvel and the home of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, this concert hall is located in a particularly well-designed district of Copenhagen’s capital.
Spain – Auditorio de Tenerife
Santiago Calatrava Valls was the architect behind this quirky building that sits right alongside the Atlantic Ocean. It is a relatively new offering in the concert hall world as construction only began on it in 1997 and it exhibits elements of architecture typical of the late 20th century. Today, The Auditorio de Tenerife is considered the finest modern building of the Canary Islands as well as one of the most symbolic aspects of Spanish architecture as a whole.
Portugal – Casa da Música
Nearby lies Casa de Música in Porto, the brainchild of Rem Koolhaas, a Dutch architect, who created it for Porto’s European Culture Capital portfolio in 2001. However, the building wasn’t completed until 2005, but was quickly elevated to one of the city’s most memorable icons.
Mexico – The Palacio de Bellas Artes
The Palacio de Bellas Artes (or the Palace of Fine Arts) takes pride of place in Mexico City’s famous historic centre and remains the most important cultural centre in the whole of Mexico. The country initially featured another National Theatre, the original offering, but this was removed so a more luxurious building could be constructed for the Centennial of the Mexican War of Independence back in 1910. After a false start by Italian architect Adamo Boari which screeched to a halt in 1913, the final design was completed in 1934 by Frederico Mariscal, a Mexican architect.
Iceland – Harpa
Harpa is located in Iceland’s vibrant capital, Reykjavik, and was the creation of Henning Larsen Architects, a Danish firm who worked alongside Olafur Eliasson, a Danish-Icelandic artist. The structure is a breathtaking combination of steel framework and colourful irregular glass panels.
Australia – Sydney Opera House
Probably the most famous concert hall in the world, this list wouldn’t be complete without Sydney’s offering. The brainchild of Jørn Utzon, a Danish architect, it opened in 1973 – sixteen years after its competition winning design had been selected. The Sydney Opera House is now one of the busiest performing arts venues in the world and, in 2007, it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
USA – Walt Disney Concert Hall
Situated in Los Angeles, California, the Walt Disney Concert Hall is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. It was designed by Frank Gehry and opened in 2003 as a gift from Lillian Disney to commemorate Walt Disney’s avid devotion to arts in the city.
China – National Centre for the Performing Arts
Locally known as The Bird’s Egg because of its oval-shaped design, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing was designed by Paul Andreu, a French architect, and opened in 2007. The design is particularly unique, with a titanium and glass ellipsoid dome meeting an artificial lake at ground level.
Azerbaijan – Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre
Azerbaijan is an up-and-coming country for arts and culture, so it seems fitting that its concert hall offering, located in the capital Baku, should appear on this list. The grand building was constructed in 1911 and today sees many ballet and opera performances take place inside.
Brazil – Cidade da Musica
Originally planned to open in 2004, the Cidade da Musica caused controversy because of its increasingly high budget and continuously delayed opening; its inauguration wasn’t until last year. Designed by French architect Christian de Portzamparc, it now houses the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra and is the largest modern concert hall in the whole of South America.
Japan – Harmony Hall Fukui
HFF, as it is regularly abbreviated to, was established in 1997 and is run by the Fukui Prefecture Organization for Cultural Promotion. It is most famous for its impressive organ which was built by Karl Schuke and takes pride of place in the main music hall.
Oman – The Royal Opera House Muscat
Officially opened in 2011, the Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) was constructed under orders of Sultan Qaboos of Oman and displays contemporary aspects of Omani architecture; inside, it boasts some of the country’s finest arts performances.
Hungary – Palace of Arts
Budapest’s Bartok National Concert Hall is situated inside the city’s Palace of Arts and opened in 2005 for arts performances and to provide a home for the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. It was designed by architect Gabor Zoboki of Zoboki Demeter & Associates Architects.
Egypt – Royal Opera House Cairo
Designed by Avoscani and Rossi, two Italian architects, the Royal Opera House in Cairo was completed in an impressive six months. It was built under the orders of Khedive Ismail in 1869 who wanted the city to have an arts, drama, and music hub that would be longstanding.
Author Bio: Ever since she can remember, Beth has been interested in art, design and travel, and is particularly interested in the way a places’ art can teach us more about its culture and history. Whilst travelling, Beth likes explore the local arts and crafts scenes that are unique to each location. Find out more about Beth and her interests at her World Art and Travel Blog.
