The soaring white “palace on ice” to which members of the M. Karłowicz Philharmonic orchestra are just moving in, is one of the most awaited investments in Szczecin, proclaimed the city’s new symbol even before the construction began. Estudio Barozzi Veiga, a Spanish architectural studio which has some experience in concert hall design, designed the futuristic white block.

The firm defeated NOW, an architectural office from Lodz, which had presented a project inspired by Szczecin’s pre-war Konzerthaus. The runner-up’s design was the city inhabitants’ favorite. The only thing that today’s philharmonic and the old Konzerthaus have in common is the place at the corner of Matejki and Małopolska streets in the very heart of the city.

Architecture

The building combines two contradictory ideas: tradition and modernity. Tradition resides in the building’s shape, which looks like a historic frontage formed by high buildings that are characteristic for ports. But this tribute to tradition got a very modern form. The building is a white monolith with no windows. The creators tried to make it look immaterial.

The facade is the building’s weakest point. The purpose of the glass LED-lighted walls with steel razor blade-like blinds was to create a frozen mist illusion. But the last effect is quite heavy, and the building resembles a corrugated steel market stall. At night, it looks kitsch, like a circus or a night club. But it was an ambitious project, a great idea which failed to materialize.

Interior and design

But the philharmonic’s interior design is one of the best in Polish public institutions. The philharmonic's design is according to international standards. Its concert halls are even more spectacular than its glass facade illuminated with lamps which can arrange into 20,000 different combinations. The hall of 951 seats for orchestral concerts is the fourth biggest concert hall in Poland and one of the most modern when it comes to equipment and sound system. The ceiling hides sound curtains, while the black seats design make sure that they do not creak. Nothing can affect the pureness of sound.

An untrained eye will first notice the building’s sumptuousness - 3,000 gold-colored tiles cover the philharmonic, laid by employees of an antique restoration firm. Dorota Serwa, the philharmonic’s director, says that the symphonic hall symbolizes the Sun, while the smaller chamber-music hall of 192 seats symbolizes the Moon. The latter hall is much more modest, and illuminated by small lamps that look like stars.

Happy Orchestra members

Members of the philharmonic’s orchestra, who used to play concerts in one of the wings of the city hall, can't understand how they could do without this luxury. Apart from the great concert halls, they can also use sound proof rehearsal halls, as well as dressing rooms with lockers, wash basins, huge mirrors, and screens showing the stage.

The new concert hall’s inauguration lasted from 5 to 12 September 2014. Each day highlighted a different musical genre. Music lovers could enjoy classical music, while amateurs of opera were able to see a concert by renowned singers. Enthusiasts of jazz, dance shows and choral music also found something for themselves.

But the philharmonic has changed not only its concert venue, but also its logo. The letters FS replaced the old logo with the lyre, which are more modern and resemble a spreading sound wave. According to Ms Serwa, this logo is also easier to transform into 3-D forms, gadgets or statues. Atektura, a Szczecin design firm and the author of the logo, has opted for soaring letters in colors that correspond to those of the philharmonic’s concert halls.