BUILDING THE HALL
FRIENDSHIP AND INNOVATION
The conception and construction of the Pierre Boulez Saal was inspired not only by the artistic and humanitarian ideals behind it, but also by a strong sense of companionship and common purpose. Frank Gehry incorporated Daniel Barenboim’s impulses into his design with an expertise and openness that the artists share. The initial, almost intuitive sketch of ovals Gehry presented to Barenboim left a strong impression on the musician, and he encouraged the architect to pursue his original idea to create a completely non-traditional concert hall. Though at first skeptical, Gehry succeeded brilliantly in implementing his exceptional design, eventually realizing that, “Sometimes artists recognize something in other artists in ways that we don’t really understand.”
“When I read the Barenboim-Said story, I reached out to them and offered to become part of it or to help them. I subsequently met Daniel and Mariam C. Said and other members of the group and found camaraderie and a communal interest, something I could really believe in and put my heart and soul in.”
Frank Gehry
“Daniel was at La Scala. He was having back problems. He was in pain. I brought him a model to show him an idea for the layout of the seating of this tiny hall, and in his pain he was looking at it and he seemed even more pained, and he said: ‘Frank, what happened to that beautiful sketch you made?’ I thought and said: ‘The ovals, you mean?’ and he said ‘Yes!’ I said: ‘Oh, I am not sure they work, but I am sure this works, so …’ But he said: ‘Frank, I want the ovals, please, please, please.’”
Frank Gehry
“I went back, looked at the sketches, and made it work. There are two ovals, and each has an axis. They are separate, and the one above shifts slightly off the axis of the lower one to open the upper level to the bottom. It looks like it is floating in space … It will be very special for me—a non-musician—to have such an important place in the history of Berlin music.”
Frank Gehry
“When the design was done for this little hall, Daniel informed me that they were going to name it the Pierre Boulez Hall, which brought tears to my eyes.”
Frank Gehry
“I took the model to Pierre as a gift, and he put it in his living room, and every time you go back he has it somewhere even more important. He even created a lighting system for it … It meant a lot to him.”
Frank Gehry
A HALL FOR BERLIN AND THE WORLD
Acclaimed acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota—who together with Frank Gehry had previously built Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and is also responsible for the acoustics of Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie—created the hall’s unique sound profile. His close collaboration with Gehry resulted in one of the world’s most unusual and extraordinary concert halls, situated in the historic center of Berlin. Both men provided their expertise and knowledge pro bono, as a generous gift to the hall. The historic building, designated as a landmark, was fitted with a modern and innovative interior. With a total floor space of 70,000 square feet, it houses the Pierre Boulez Saal as well as the Barenboim-Said Akademie with its more than 20 rehearsal and seminar rooms, an auditorium, and a library.
building the hall
