Berliner Philharmonie, Berlin, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Berliner Philharmonie is a concert hall in the Tiergarten district of Berlin and the home of the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. Designed by the architect Hans Scharoun and opened in 1963, it is regarded as one of the finest concert halls in the world, and its bold, tent-like shape still looks modern today.

The story behind it

The orchestra's earlier concert hall, on Bernburger Straße, was destroyed in a British bombing raid in 1944. After the war the orchestra played in temporary venues, and the new building was planned in West Berlin near the Tiergarten. Scharoun's design opened in 1963, with Herbert von Karajan as the orchestra's chief conductor.

Not everyone loved it at first. The sweeping roof drew mockery, and Berliners nicknamed the building Zirkus Karajani, a joke on the circus tent shape and the famous conductor. The name stuck as a piece of local humour, while the hall itself won over musicians and audiences. Inside there are two venues: the Grand Hall, which seats more than two thousand people, and the smaller Chamber Music Hall, added later next to the main building.

What to look for

• The golden facade and the sweeping, tent-like roofline, which look like nothing else around them.
• The street name, Herbert-von-Karajan-Straße, a reminder of the conductor who shaped the orchestra's modern sound.
• The way the building sits among the Kulturforum's other cultural buildings, so you can compare Scharoun's curves with the straighter lines nearby.
• The separate, smaller Chamber Music Hall volume attached to the main hall, which reflects the same design language.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes to walk around the outside and take photos; longer if you attend a concert or tour.
• The best way to see the interior is to book a concert. Check current opening hours and the event schedule for foyer access and guided visits.
• Late afternoon light brings out the warm colour of the facade.
• The Kulturforum, with its museums and the State Library, is right next door, and Potsdamer Platz and the Tiergarten park are a short walk away.

See it on a quest

The Berlin: Tiergarten District Highlights quest passes the Philharmonie as one stop on a longer walk through the Tiergarten area. You reach it on foot, the app tells you about the place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.