Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic in Szczecin

The Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic has played since 2014 in a new building at Małopolska Street 48, built in 2011-2014 on the site of the Art Nouveau Konzerthaus destroyed during the war. The white block, which is meant to resemble the tip of an iceberg, was designed by the studio Estudio Barozzi Veiga.

The building and awards

The design was chosen in a competition from 44 proposals. The building has four storeys above ground and an underground car park, and its usable area is 12,734 m². The facade is sometimes illuminated, and the colour depends on events. The philharmonic's website states that the building won first place in the Eurobuild Awards 2014 in the category “Architectural Design of the Year”. According to the Wikipedia entry, in 2015 it also received the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award; this information was not found on the philharmonic's website, so treat it as a claim from a single source.

Concert halls

The symphonic hall, known as the “Sun Hall”, has 953 seats, and its walls are covered with thin flakes of Dutch metal. The stage holds an orchestra of 120 and a choir of 110. The acoustics were designed by Higini Arau, and according to the entry they are similar to those of the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein. The chamber hall for 192 spectators, known as the “Moon Hall”, has black walls and a reverberation time of 1.5 s. The building also has a café, a cloakroom, a foyer, the gallery “Level 4” and two rehearsal rooms.

The orchestra and its former venues

The orchestra's first concert took place on 25 October 1948 in the hired meeting room of the City National Council, under the baton of Felicjan Lasota. The institution became the State Philharmonic in Szczecin on 15 December 1953, and received the name of Mieczysław Karłowicz in 1958. The opening of the new venue on 5 September 2014 was marked, among other things, by the specially written Fanfare for the Philharmonic by Krzysztof Penderecki.

Nearby

The philharmonic stands close to the centre, near Jasne Błonia and Grunwaldzki Square. It is about 1.8 km in a straight line to the Ducal Castle.

Practical information

• Address: Małopolska 48, Szczecin (Śródmieście-Północ).
• Tours of the building: the philharmonic's website lists guided tours on Fridays, in German at 13:00, in English at 14:00 and in Polish at 15:00; the contact for tours is on the website. Check the dates before your visit.
• Programme and tickets: the philharmonic's website (filharmonia.szczecin.pl) directs to the ticket shop.
• Accessibility: according to the entry, the symphonic hall is adapted for people with disabilities; confirm on site.