Renovation & Facelift

Renovation

Due to a lack of funds, Het Concertgebouw N.V. always had to keep the maintenance and modifications of the concert hall to a minimum. In 1972, The Concertgebouw was officially declared a protected monument, which made its financial future slightly rosier. In October 1983, the management signalled a potential disaster in the making: the building was sinking because of rotting foundations and continuous use, and this situation could potentially jeopardise the safety of the concert hall.

New side wing

Six months later, the renovation plans were made public: the building would undergo major renovations from July 1985 to April 1988, without interrupting concert activities and without risking damage to the hall’s acoustics. One part of the large-scale renovation caused quite a commotion particularly among Amsterdam residents: the construction of a new side wing. The expansion of the ticket window and the efficient reception of the growing number of visitors made it necessary to move the building’s main entrance to this wing. Pi de Bruijn, the renovation plan architect, defended his design as follows: this wing, with its covered promenade, is fully in keeping with the original building. The design is simple, with a lot of glass, so the beauty of the old building continues to shine through. Even the colour, light grey, fits in well with The Concertgebouw.