Music temples: Philharmonie de Paris

Located in the Parc de la Villette, the Philharmonie de Paris is a real music temple in the heart of French capital. Inaugurated in January 2005 and designed by famous French architect Jean Nouvel, the building of **the Philharmonie de Paris is **completely dedicated to music. This place is composed of exhibition spaces, rehearsal rooms, a library and three concert halls. One of the most impressive concert halls is the Great Hall that has the exceptional acoustics. If you are a music lover, then you should definitely visit this place. 

The building

Situated near the Canal de l’Ourcq, The Philharmonie de Paris is constructed on the site of the former Paris-Bestiaux railway station closed in 1977. Designed by Jean Nouvel, the new building offers the innovative forms. Imagined as a sort of aluminum hill that rises from the Parc de la Villette, the building is surrounded by the images of 340,000 birds etched into the surface. The 37-metre high rooftop of the Philharmonie de Paris is also accessible to the public. Open from Wednesday to Sunday, from noon to sunset, and from mid-March to early November, this rooftop offers an incredible panoramic view over the northeast Paris and its suburbs. 

The Grand Hall

**The Philharmonie de Paris **was conceived as a true living space for music. Here, the artists and the public can easily cross the paths, as the public can freely wander through the space surrounding the Great Hall. The Great Hall (the Grande Salle Pierre Boulez) is a real architectural gem. Created by the architect Jean Nouvel and leading acoustician Harold Marshall, this large-capacity hall with 2400 seats, feels remarkably intimate as the distance between the conductor and the farthest spectator is only 32 metres. The Grand Hall is also equipped with a Rieger Orgelbau organ, specially designed for the Philharmonie de Paris. This organ is made up of over 7.000 pipes with 91 stops. But one of the things that make this hall unique among other European concert halls is its possibility to adapt to different kinds of music and provide the optimal viewing and listening conditions. For example, the seats in the parterre can be even removed to leave the standing room for music concerts.

Practical Information

The Philharmonie de Paris, a real music temple, is open from Tuesday to Friday, from 12 pm to 6 pm, on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm, and every evening on the day of music events. It is closed on Mondays.* The Balcon* is a bar and restaurant situated on the 6th floor of the Philharmonie de Paris. Designed by Frédéric Druot, a French architect, this place offers an incredible view of Paris and a perfect stop after the concert.

Cover photo credits: Lena Gadanski