The not-yet-realised interior of Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg can now be toured by computer and tablet users via a fly-through model created by digital studio Neutral (+ movie).
Herzog & de Meuron originally asked Neutral to produce a simple animation depicting the architecture of their philharmonic hall under construction beside the river Elbe, first planned for 2012 but which now won't open until 2016 due to stalls in the planning process.
Neutral decided to instead create an interactive 3D model that allows users to take in 360-degree views of different rooms, gradually making their way towards the 2150-seat auditorium at the heart of the building.
"Users experience the spaces as they build up to the grand hall," said co-founder Christian Grou. "The novel 3D technique developed by Neutral expands traditional architectural narrative, transposing the user into future spaces, giving architects new possibilities for articulating visions long before they become reality."
Spaces featured include the main atrium, stairwells and a multi-purpose room offering a panoramic view of the river. They can be viewed by visiting the Elbphilharmonie 3D website or by downloading an app for Apple or Android devices.
The Elbphilharmonie is being built over an existing brick warehouse built in 1963 by Hamburg architect Werner Kallmorgen. The new upper section is made of glass and was completed last month.
Once open, the building will offer three concert halls, a hotel, apartments and a public square elevated 37 metres above the adjacent river.