Structural steelwork of the Elbphilharmonie

The Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg without exaggeration can be called a project of high-class architecture. Numerous technical and construction finesses are part of the architecture and only allow the new building structure with its integrated great concert hall to be placed upon the historical warehouse. Without access to the construction site or deeper project knowledge, it will not be obvious for an outsider, in which areas structural steelwork is playing an important part in this challenging project. This paper therefore intends to show, how the technical challenges especially in steelwork specific parts of the structural work were dealt with in planning and execution. These experiences are described from the point of view of the general contractor HOCHTIEF and one of the main steelwork contractors, spannverbund GmbH.