Bruges Concert Hall

The contemporary concert hall , designed by the architect duo Paul Robbrecht and Hilde Daem, provoked a lot of controversy .

And who does not remember the angry reactions of people who feared that such a newfangled bunker at 't Zand would disfigure the gateway to the moody city center too much? Or the glee in the streets, squares and paper, when the famous terracotta tiles, now firmly riveted, blew around with the first breeze? Well, those storms have subsided in the meantime. Friend and foe agree that the Concertgebouw – beautiful or ugly, necessary or not – is a particularly smart building . The best sounding concert hall in the country, moreover.

The facades are clad in thousands of red terracotta tiles, 68,000 in total, all fired in Saint-Omer in northern France. The Lantern Tower itself consists mainly of glass. The interior is rather sober.

In addition to a large concert hall that seats 1,290 on three levels, there is a chamber music hall that can accommodate 320 spectators. On the ground floor there is the Concertgebouw café and on the seventh floor, the top floor of the Lantern Tower, there is an exhibition space for contemporary art. It also has a good view of the city. Thanks to some special architectural interventions, such as the 4,696 springs on which the entire building rests , the Concertgebouw offers excellent acoustics and ranks among the world's best in that regard.

The Concertgebouw is one of the locations where the MAfestival Brugge for early music takes place. The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and the Flanders Symphony Orchestra also regularly perform here. It was the home base of the latter until it moved to De Bijloke in Ghent in 2017.

Concert Hall Circuit

An original experience route takes you on a discovery through the contemporary Concertgebouw. Get to know how the Concert Hall works, be impressed by the famous acoustics, be amazed by the contemporary art collection or get started with sound art yourself. During a playful children's trail with assignments along the way, children can collect stamps. The icing on the cake is the roof terrace on the seventh floor , with a breathtaking panoramic view of the city. During a guided tour you will learn more about the musical and artistic qualities of the Concertgebouw.

Willem Vandenameele