The dream of a concert hall in Liepāja is more than a century old. The city council decided on the necessity of a concert hall in Liepāja at the end of the 19th century in 1896.
This dream finally came to fruition in 2015 with the grand opening of the concert hall “Great Amber”. Excellent acoustics, modern architectural design and its multi-purpose functionality have attracted the attention of professionals worldwide and have resulted in several awards bestowed on the concert hall. The modern facility is appropriate not only for high quality cultural events and exhibitions, but also for conferences and corporate events.
Professionals of the field create excellence
The prominent Austrian architect, professor Volker Giencke, used the symbol found on the coast of Latvia and the Baltic Sea – amber – as the basis for the concert hall’s architectural concept. The acoustics and lighting of the concert hall were designed by world class experts in their respective fields – professor Karl Heinz Miller of Germany and Professor Christian Bartenbach of Austria.
The concert hall “Great Amber” has become a significant centre of culture and events, as well as the home of Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and Liepāja Music, Art and Design Secondary School.
Facilities for different types of activity
The concert hall’s building is eight storeys tall and has an area of 14,600 square metres. Reinforced concrete, metal and glass were used in the construction of the building. The sunny tint of the façade creates a visual association with amber, a gem that is commonly found on the beaches of Liepāja after a storm.
The largest room in the building is the Great Hall with 972 seats. It was created to accommodate musical concerts, plays and dance shows of different genres, as well as conferences and other public forums, or even events not requiring seats. The Chamber Hall seats 180. There is a café and restaurant in the concert hall, providing food services not only during events, but also on daily basis.
Tours
Internationally acclaimed architectural pearl the Great Amber Concert Hall in Liepaja offers guided group tours! An hour-long tour takes the visitors through all the Great Amber halls – from the Civita Nova Art Space on the 1st floor and the Chamber Hall on the 2nd floor, to the Great Hall then finishing the tour by visiting Civita Nova 6 and the Experimental Stage on the 6th floor. During the tour, the visitors get to know impressive facts about the new construction, the building process, the artistic programme and the wide array of opportunities.
Both public and private tours are available. More information about the tours here.