The Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany

© Canetti/Shutterstoc

A day for blueprints and beyond. World Architecture Day

Build your excitement—it's World Architecture Day. Initiated by the International Union of Architects in 1985, this day is celebrated on the first Monday of October. Today's image features the Elbphilharmonie on the Grasbrook peninsula of the Elbe River in Hamburg, Germany. Designed by the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, this concert hall is a modern architectural marvel perched atop an old brick warehouse from 1963.

A centrepiece of the new Hafencity development, it's Hamburg's tallest inhabited building—there are 45 luxury apartments on the upper floors—reaching a height of 108 metres. The Elbphilharmonie features three concert venues: the Great Concert Hall, with vineyard-style seating for 2,100 and acoustics designed by renowned Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota; the Recital Hall, accommodating 550 for recitals, chamber music and jazz; and the Kaistudio, a 170-seat space for educational activities. This fusion of history and innovation at the Elbphilharmonie offers a glimpse into thoughtful and creative architecture.