Kammermusiksaal

A little brother for the big Philharmonie

Located on the edge of West Berlin, the site with Berlin Philharmonic and Chamber Music Hall has been at the heart of the city since the fall of the Berlin Wall. And in a double sense: geographically and musically. The 1136-seat chamber music hall offers the best acoustics and has grown on Berliners despite its large dimensions for a small music hall.

At first glance, its size also contradicts the words of the architect of the chamber music hall, Edgar Wisniewski. For him, chamber music is about "a few friends looking over the shoulders of Beethoven or Schubert as they play a new work". Not at all untypical for Berlin, there are now a few more friends than originally planned. And this despite the fact that for a long time it looked as if the desire for a chamber music hall in Berlin would never materialise.

The long road to the chamber music hall

Without the persistent lovers of chamber music in Berlin, there would probably be no chamber music hall today. Its construction was on the brink of collapse for a long time:

After the opening of the Philharmonie on 15 October 1963, many members of the Society of Friends of the Berlin Philharmonie initially thought their task was complete. The collection of further funds for the construction of the chamber music hall was slow, and even the dissolution of the society was under discussion.

Although the construction of a chamber music hall was included as a goal in the statutes, it would be around 20 years before construction could begin. In 1976, the mayor at the time, Klaus Schütz, promised to open the chamber music hall for the orchestra's 100th anniversary. However, the city's financial problems caused further delays and the budget was topped up with donations from society. The foundation stone was finally laid in 1984, and on 28 October 1987, the Chamber Music Hall was officially opened.

Classical music for the 21st century

Today, the Chamber Music Hall is a firm favourite among Berlin's concert halls. Renowned artists from all over the world come here for guest performances and despite its size, it offers an intimate concert experience. The tent-like architecture in combination with the golden panels inside lend the concert hall a festive atmosphere.

Highlights of the chamber music hall

• Excellent acoustics that bring out the finest nuances of the music
• Impressive architecture by architect Edgar Wisniewski, who was already involved in the plans for the Philharmonie
• Intimate musical experience despite unusual size for a chamber music hall
• Varied programme of classical music, jazz, choral performances and more
• Interesting architectural neighbourhood with Philharmonie, Neue Nationalgalerie and Potsdamer Platz

Your visit to the Chamber Music Hall

You can easily reach the Chamber Music Hall by public transport. U2, S1, S2, S25 and S26 as well as several regional trains stop within walking distance at Potsdamer Platz. The bus lines M48, M85 and M29 also stop nearby. There are also parking spaces for bicycles and a limited number of paid parking spaces for cars.

Sights near the Chamber Music Hall

The Chamber Music Hall is located at the Kulturforum with all its famous museums, institutions such as the State Library or the Ibero-American Institute and the St Matthew's Church. Right next to the Chamber Music Hall is the Philharmonie Berlin, another famous concert hall. If you are in the mood for painting before enjoying music, the Gemäldegalerie is worth a visit. To stretch your legs after a long concert, take a stroll through the Tiergarten or the neighbouring Diplomatic Quarter with its many interesting buildings and embassies of different countries. You will find a wide range of restaurants and shopping opportunities at Potsdamer Platz and a little further behind in the Mall of Berlin  at Leipziger Platz.