Tonhalle Düsseldorf

On.the.Road

I wanted to be an artist, specifically a pianist. But in South Korea, studying arts with ordinary parents, and being ordinary myself meant I just liked playing the piano a little more and tried a little harder than others. Perhaps that's why I've always had a foot in the arts, joining a singing club in college, participating in a choir, and visiting galleries and musicals. Though it's not enough to quench my thirst. There is a space where I suddenly missed the dream I thought I had forgotten, the beautiful concert hall Tonhalle in Düsseldorf. Tonhalle was designed by Wilhelm Kreis in 1926 as a complex building by the Rhine river, housing an observatory, concert hall, and exhibition space. Severely damaged by an air raid in July 1942, it has mainly been used as a concert hall after remodeling, led by Helmut Hentrich, and reopened in April 1978. The interior, reminiscent of its past as an observatory, and the concert hall's ceiling adorned with 21 mirrors, creating a starry ambiance, earning the nickname 'music's observatory.' I wonder, if I had achieved that dream, could I have stood on this stage? Would I have been happy? The seating is vineyard style, surrounding the stage, with different pricing per section, reminiscent of a Roman amphitheatre. The theatre lobby also hosts a small space similar to a Roman amphitheatre, serving as a waiting area for patrons and sometimes as an event space for teenagers, with a corridor known as Grünes Vaul also being a sight to see. A space that was once the world's largest observatory is now used solely as a concert hall, but it has not forgotten its origins as a beautiful music hall in Düsseldorf, Tonhalle.