Why Germany is proud of the Elbphilharmonie – and why Britain should care about that

Germany’s great and good basked in the cultural glow as Hamburg’s concert hall opened its doors last night. In the UK, such a project would be mired in political squabbling and public scorn

Ask yourself this. If Liverpool or Glasgow built a stunning new concert hall, would it be not just the talk – and the pride – of the town itself? Would its opening attract the Queen and the prime minister? Would a huge contingent of the world’s artistic press come for the occasion – and would they content themselves by asking respectful questions, and even applauding, in spite of the fact that the whole project came in at €866m, overdue and over budget, most of it paid for by the city itself?

I simply don’t think that any of this would happen in the UK, even in London.

Related: Elbphilharmonie Orchestra/Hengelbrock review – storming debut for hall of wonders

Tickets are sold out for six months. The aim is that every child in Hamburg will see a concert in the first year

Related: The Guardian view on culture and devolution: the Hamburg model | Editorial

Continue reading...