Press information
January 2009

World class symphony hall opens its doors

Copenhagen boasts a new international concert venue. The long-awaited DR Koncerthuset in DR Byen in the Ørestad district opened its doors on January 17, 2009 . The venue, which is designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, offers fascinating architecture and four concert halls with world-class acoustics.

The final and fourth part of The Danish Broadcasting Corporation's premises DR Byen in Copenhagen's new district Ørestad North is finished. On January 17 DR Koncerthuset opened its doors with a huge concert to celebrities and the royal family, lucky winners, viewers and listeners.

Architectural attraction

DR Koncerthuset is designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, who has designed the opera house in Lyon, the cultural conference center in Lucerne and the Arab institute in Paris. The blue frontage looks as if the building has been carved out of the sky. The screen is semi-transparent reflecting the environment, weather and current events. The interior of the concert hall is marked by fine as well as raw material. Grey concrete walls with irregular patterns in contrast to the shiny steel floors, laid in large squares.

International recognition

DR Koncerthuset has only been open for a week, but has already been acknowledged by the world press. New York Times' Nicolai Ouroussoff describes Jean Nouvel's design as "one of the most gorgeous buildings I have recently seen: a towering bright blue cube enveloped in seductive images. It's a powerful example of how to mine historical memory without stifling the creative imagination. And it offers proof, if any more were needed, that we are in the midst of a glorious period in concert hall design." Read the full review here.

Concert halls with world-class acoustics

DR Koncerthuset offers four concert halls - from the great Studio 1 with room for 1,800 audiences to the intimate Studio 4. The concert halls are very different in architecture, but they all have world-class acoustics in common. Japanese acoustic engineer Yasuhisa Toyota, who is behind La Philhamonie de Paris, has insured that each concert hall has variable acoustics. Thus the sound can be adjusted and adapted to different ensembles and musical genres.

Wide ranging concert programme

DR Koncerthuset primarily offers classical concerts with DR's own orchestras and choirs: Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Danish Radio Sinfonietta, DR Big Band, DR Vocal Ensemble, DR Radio Choir, DR Radio Girls' Choir, DR Youth Ensemble and DR's children's choir. Over time, however, it is intended that concerts at the venue will range widely from small-scale jazz concerts in the foyer, chamber music, choral, rock and pop concerts to symphony concerts, guest appearances and large scale rhythmic concerts.

Read more information about Koncerthuset and the guided tours offered here.

For further information:
Hanna Madsbjerg
Tel: +45 3520 6433
E-mail: hama@dr.dk

High res. photos:
To download high resolution photos of DR Koncerthuset, click here.