My primary interest in visiting Hamburg was the Elbphilharmonie, designed by Swiss architects Herzog and DeMeuron. In my book, it’s easily among the greatest modern buildings in the past hundred years.

It’s not flawless. But the experience is thrilling. As a destination, visitors marvel over its design and are overwhelmed by its prominence. Like a giant supercruise ship lifted out of the water, it sits on a promontory to the western edge of the city.

It’s now a destination point with tons of tourists from Luneburg to Buenos Aires. The size and massing establish its presence and its whimsical openings and surface treatment are intriguing,

There are few buildings I consider worthy from both interior and exterior perspectives. but this one exceeds my expectations. From the first encounter with the curve escalator to the 360 degree views of the harbor from the top, there is no comparable building in the world that combines an exciting amusement park with a inspirational view at the top of the world. Unless fans of bungee jumping argue that the sport is better. The results are the same.

At the first performance there, I watched a rock star from the rafters. Anne Sophie Mutter and her Virtuosi concert took the sold-out audience over the top. Sightlines were so good you felt you were in a front seat and the sound quality, thanks to Japanese ingenuity, made you feel as if you had just cleaned the wax out of your ears.

The second performance was in the Smaller Auditorium (Kleiner Saal). Quite a different but equally thrilling experience to that of the Larger Hall (Grosser Saal). The Mendelssohn Festival was being held simultaneously so the room and the chamber music fit perfectly.

Like other European cities that have established star-architect branding to attract tourists to museums, Hamburg took a risk and turned its attention to a music venue. It cleverly lifted the concert hall to the pinnacle of a high rise building by putting 5 levels of parking at the base and sandwiching a hotel in the middriff.

Unfortunately it seemed like exiting the garage is a nightmare for attendees, both pedestrian and vehicular. And I questioned putting the high headcount at the top. I suppose its no different than occupants in a high rise building. There’s no doubt the building is spectacular and deserves its place among the top, if not the top, of ten best concert halls in the world. My opinion.

Fine and Applied Arts Museum, Hamburg

Wandering into the museum next to the train station was an oasis of German culture that I love. From the early beginnings of modern design and production of beautiful objects for the home, the roots of Ikea and Apple can ge found here. The tender, slender tendrils of Jugendstil (youthful style) represent the flowering of blending art and science, as it reflected the Art Nouveau movement and influenced the Moderne.

The fine tapestries demonstrate the traditions of fine hand craftsmanship. Art extended into the home and blended architectural elements like walls, doors and windows as well as furniture. It’s no winder you see influences of Frank Lloyd Wright everywhere in these museums!

You can learn more about the Jugendstil here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jugendstil

Sesame Street Setups

This special exhibition at the Fine Arts Museum captures the delight in educating and training children. The models, sketches, and planning required extreme care and dedication by talented professionals. Kids could draw their own creative versions!

Around the corner from the train station is where the other half of Hamburg lives. Real food is sold in markets here.

Luneburg

The Hanseatic city of Luneburg was a fine example of the wealth and commercial power of the Hanseatic league. Established to protect mutual trading interests of its members, the League was the most powerful from the 13th to the 15th centuries. Buildings in Luneburg have been preserved back to this period.

Bremen controlled the North Sea and Hamburg controlled the Baltic. Athough Luneburg was not a coastal seaport, it derived its prominence from the salt in the area. I loved how roofscapes and windows made you “look up”, as Steve Jobs said in the opera (R)evolution about cell phones..

I was lucky enough to join my new German friend Annemarie to make a delivery to a client’s stately home on the outskirts of Luneburg. The thatched roof is a unique feature of homes in the area. Dedicated maintenance and care are required. The same roofing method was applied to the new pool house. The visit was a treat and a pleasure.

There’s only a couple more days to see a final performance at the Philharmonie, then back to Berlin to catch my flight back to San Francisco!