In Hamburg, a court has begun to address a dispute over the construction of a new concert hall

Photo: © Oliver Heissner

Hamburg (Germany) - Today, a trial at the Hamburg Regional Court began and ended regarding the massive delays in the construction of the new local concert hall building, potentially involving fines in the tens of millions of euros. The German Hanseatic city has decided to sue the construction conglomerate Hochtief, which has been entrusted with the realization of the impressive concert hall project by the Swiss architectural duo Herzog & de Meuron. However, during the hearing, both parties agreed to resolve the dispute out of court.
According to the original plans, the building was to be completed in 2010, and Hamburg requested €200,000 from Hochtief for each day of delay. Responsible officials estimated that the construction company is currently 14 months behind schedule. However, the city wants to calculate the fines for 11 months because it attributes three months of delays to its own account.
According to the latest valid agreement, the company was supposed to complete the new building by the end of this November, but it has now announced that the deadline will likely be moved to spring 2014. Due to the endless delays in construction, the city has decided to take action, as postponing the completion date significantly increases the costs. While the initial studies estimated the price at €77 million, it is now already being discussed at €323 million, and the amount could still rise.
Even though the parties agreed in court to halt the proceedings and resolve the dispute out of court, a long road to reconciliation lies ahead. "They agreed that they wouldn't agree," summarized the positions of the company and the city, a court spokesperson stated.
The first proposal for the Elbe Philharmonic was prepared by Herzog & de Meuron in 2003. The impressive glass building, featuring three concert halls, a hotel, and luxury apartments, is set to become the new landmark of the maritime harbor, but so far it is primarily a source of disputes. In addition to disagreements between the investor and the construction company, the designers also have reservations. Pierre de Meuron has, for example, long expressed strong reservations against the designer, the company Adamanta, which he claims deliberately inflated costs. The city also reportedly failed during the preparation of the project by underestimating oversight. De Meuron even testified about his doubts before the parliamentary investigative committee on Thursday.
The architects Herzog and de Meuron have been working together in a joint studio since 1978. Their worldwide fame came in the 1990s with the project to convert an old London power station into the contemporary art center Tate Modern. In recent years, buildings such as the Allianz Arena in Munich with a façade of rubber "pillows" and the Olympic Stadium known as the Bird's Nest in Beijing have been created according to their plans.