Carl Bechstein Campus

The large chamber music hall of the Carl Bechstein Campus will become a valuable addition to Berlin’s cultural landscape. With a frontal orientation and a capacity of 500 guests, it will complement the centrally arranged auditoriums of the Berliner Philharmonie’s Chamber Music Hall and the Pierre Boulez Saal. Its sound and structural design have been developed in close collaboration with engineers from ARUP, including their renowned acoustic expert Tateo Nakajima.

A smaller hall with a capacity of around 100 people will provide the perfect accompaniment. Access to both halls is via a spectacular foyer and staircase that spans several stories of the building’s façade, welcoming visitors with a grand formal gesture.

The Carl Bechstein Campus will close the last existing gap in the perimeter block development along Heidestrasse. At a central point in the continuous building volume, the design features a generous diagonal spatial widening of the street along Heidestrasse, culminating in a new urban square called Franz-Liszt-Platz. As well as providing a representative address for the Bechstein brand, the square will serve as a starting point from which visitors can explore the campus’s many facets.

In addition to its two music halls, the campus will also be home to a new Bechstein flagship store, a museum displaying a collection of historical Bechstein pianos and harpsichords, 30 musicians’ apartments, administrative areas, a restaurant, and a piano bar overlooking the rooftops of Berlin.