Author Archives: Simon Rein

The opening concert of the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg live and in 360°

To mark Wednesday's opening of the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie concert hall, Google Arts & Culture will bring viewers a celebratory performance streamed on YouTube starting at 6:30 pm CET.  Under the direction of Thomas Hengelbrock, the NDR Elbphilharmonie orchestra will perform with top-class soloists  Philippe Jaroussky and Camilla Tilling.

In addition to the livestream the use of 360° cameras will bring the concert to life for anyone who was not able to get their hands on one of the much-sought-after tickets to the opening performance. These specialized cameras allow each and every viewer to customise their own perspective within the YouTube window in their browser. You can watch this on YouTube,  and for a fully immersive experience, you can put on a Google Cardboard headset too. We’re inviting anyone in Hamburg to grab a cardboard free of charge at the visitor center of the Elbphilharmonie!

For a first glimpse of the Elbphilharmonie in 360 check out this video to see the Techno Marching Band “Meute“ , talented parkour-runners and the young German string player ensemble “ensemble reflektor“ explore the concert hall.

In November the Elbphilharmonie welcomed viewers inside for the first time, offering a peek into the then-unopened concert hall and the Plaza’s panoramic view over the Hamburg harbour on Google Street View. Google Arts & Culture features a rich collection of photos, videos and historic documents including corresponding online exhibitions that offer a unique look into the history and architecture of Hamburg’s newest landmark. The collection has been updated for opening day at g.co/elbphilharmonie or via the mobile app of Google Arts & Culture available to download on iOS and Android.

Elbphilharmonie behind the scenes
Capture of 360° material behind the scenes of Elbphilharmonie

The online exhibition “Backstage at the Elbphilharmonie “ invites visitors into the rehearsal room of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra whilst another demonstrates the architectural beauty of the building through the lense of Iwan Baan. It was very important to us that we not only make the Elbphilharmonie center stage, but also its people. Elbphilharmonie Ensemble in Residence accompanies the “Ensemble Resonanz” on the way from its first artistic rehearsal the the Elbphilharmonie-Kaispeicher to its move into the smaller hall of the concert house.

Elbphilharmonie

We wish our partner the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg a hearty congratulations on opening day and a successful start into the musical year of 2017. And to viewers everywhere: we hope you enjoy watching the YouTube livestream of the opening concert tonight and that you explore the many stories behind Hamburg’s new landmark on Google Arts & Culture.

Learning about the ho-ho-holidays with Google

The holidays are a time for celebrating traditions. Year after year, we tell favorite holiday stories and sing favorite holiday songs, whether for Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. This season, you can help your students discover some of the history and heritage of popular holiday icons with two new Google Expeditions, which add a virtual-reality twist to learning. The first Expedition whisks students off to the Victorian London of Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Christmas Past, while the second takes them to the snowy world of Kris Kringle. For Hanukkah, students can also take a virtual museum visit to view photos and artifacts highlighting the richness of Jewish traditions from around the world.

Take a virtual visit to the Charles Dickens Museum

Many readers consider Charles Dickens the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His beloved 19th-century books include “Oliver Twist” and “A Christmas Carol.” The brick house at 48 Doughty Street is now the only remaining home in London where Dickens lived as an adult. His two eldest daughters were born here, as were some of his most important novels.

Now the Charles Dickens Museum, the house contains thousands of artifacts related to the author and his era. With the Charles Dickens Expedition, you can explore the house, learn the stories behind items on display, and discover what life in Victorian London was like for Dickens and his family. English teachers can lead students on a virtual visit while reading his classics to help students gain a greater appreciation for the life and times of the man who created Ebenezer Scrooge and other vivid characters.
expeditions_holiday1.png

Learn the science behind Santa

Mystery and wonder have always surrounded the jolly, bearded man who makes the holidays bright for children around the world. Now the Santa’s Journey Expedition offers lessons in some of the real science, technology, and ecology involved in this annual tradition. Students will marvel at the electrically-charged Northern Lights, glimpse at the camouflage and hibernation of Arctic wildlife, and learn why Santa really travels in a sleigh.

This Expedition will also delight students with five colorful panoramas of holiday moments, which teachers can use in conjunction with the lesson plan available on TES. They’ll see how different people and myths have contributed to making modern Santa, visit the wooden kota he calls home, and learn about his very own post office in Finland. They can peek into the stables where the nimble little Svalbard reindeer live, explore the great warehouse where elves make millions of gifts while playing international games, and learn how Santa achieves his incredible feat on Christmas Eve thanks to physics and technology -- an unexpected science lesson that any kid will enjoy.
expeditions_holiday2.png

Teachers and students exploring the history of Judaism this Hanukkah can pay a virtual visit to Google Arts & Culture's online exhibit of Judaica artifacts from Moscow's Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center. It showcases a fascinating array of items from the everyday lives and holiday celebrations of Russian Jews dating back to Peter the Great. The exhibit serves as a history lesson on how Jewish culture and traditions in Russia have been sustained across generations and centuries despite major migrations, wars, and geopolitical changes.


As we wrap up our year and look forward to a new year of learning in 2017, our teams here at Google Expeditions and Google Arts & Culture wish everyone joy and happiness this season!

Source: Education


Learning about the ho-ho-holidays with Google

The holidays are a time for celebrating traditions. Year after year, we tell favorite holiday stories and sing favorite holiday songs, whether for Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. This season, you can help your students discover some of the history and heritage of popular holiday icons with two new Google Expeditions, which add a virtual-reality twist to learning. The first Expedition whisks students off to the Victorian London of Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Christmas Past, while the second takes them to the snowy world of Kris Kringle. For Hanukkah, students can also take a virtual museum visit to view photos and artifacts highlighting the richness of Jewish traditions from around the world.

Take a virtual visit to the Charles Dickens Museum

Many readers consider Charles Dickens the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His beloved 19th-century books include “Oliver Twist” and “A Christmas Carol.” The brick house at 48 Doughty Street is now the only remaining home in London where Dickens lived as an adult. His two eldest daughters were born here, as were some of his most important novels.

Now the Charles Dickens Museum, the house contains thousands of artifacts related to the author and his era. With the Charles Dickens Expedition, you can explore the house, learn the stories behind items on display, and discover what life in Victorian London was like for Dickens and his family. English teachers can lead students on a virtual visit while reading his classics to help students gain a greater appreciation for the life and times of the man who created Ebenezer Scrooge and other vivid characters.
expeditions_holiday1.png

Learn the science behind Santa

Mystery and wonder have always surrounded the jolly, bearded man who makes the holidays bright for children around the world. Now the Santa’s Journey Expedition offers lessons in some of the real science, technology, and ecology involved in this annual tradition. Students will marvel at the electrically-charged Northern Lights, glimpse at the camouflage and hibernation of Arctic wildlife, and learn why Santa really travels in a sleigh.

This Expedition will also delight students with five colorful panoramas of holiday moments, which teachers can use in conjunction with the lesson plan available on TES. They’ll see how different people and myths have contributed to making modern Santa, visit the wooden kota he calls home, and learn about his very own post office in Finland. They can peek into the stables where the nimble little Svalbard reindeer live, explore the great warehouse where elves make millions of gifts while playing international games, and learn how Santa achieves his incredible feat on Christmas Eve thanks to physics and technology -- an unexpected science lesson that any kid will enjoy.
expeditions_holiday2.png

Teachers and students exploring the history of Judaism this Hanukkah can pay a virtual visit to Google Arts & Culture's online exhibit of Judaica artifacts from Moscow's Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center. It showcases a fascinating array of items from the everyday lives and holiday celebrations of Russian Jews dating back to Peter the Great. The exhibit serves as a history lesson on how Jewish culture and traditions in Russia have been sustained across generations and centuries despite major migrations, wars, and geopolitical changes.


As we wrap up our year and look forward to a new year of learning in 2017, our teams here at Google Expeditions and Google Arts & Culture wish everyone joy and happiness this season!

Learning about the ho-ho-holidays with Google

The holidays are a time for celebrating traditions. Year after year, we tell favorite holiday stories and sing favorite holiday songs, whether for Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. This season, you can help your students discover some of the history and heritage of popular holiday icons with two new Google Expeditions, which add a virtual-reality twist to learning. The first Expedition whisks students off to the Victorian London of Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Christmas Past, while the second takes them to the snowy world of Kris Kringle. For Hanukkah, students can also take a virtual museum visit to view photos and artifacts highlighting the richness of Jewish traditions from around the world.

Take a virtual visit to the Charles Dickens Museum

Many readers consider Charles Dickens the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His beloved 19th-century books include “Oliver Twist” and “A Christmas Carol.” The brick house at 48 Doughty Street is now the only remaining home in London where Dickens lived as an adult. His two eldest daughters were born here, as were some of his most important novels.

Now the Charles Dickens Museum, the house contains thousands of artifacts related to the author and his era. With the Charles Dickens Expedition, you can explore the house, learn the stories behind items on display, and discover what life in Victorian London was like for Dickens and his family. English teachers can lead students on a virtual visit while reading his classics to help students gain a greater appreciation for the life and times of the man who created Ebenezer Scrooge and other vivid characters.
expeditions_holiday1.png

Learn the science behind Santa

Mystery and wonder have always surrounded the jolly, bearded man who makes the holidays bright for children around the world. Now the Santa’s Journey Expedition offers lessons in some of the real science, technology, and ecology involved in this annual tradition. Students will marvel at the electrically-charged Northern Lights, glimpse at the camouflage and hibernation of Arctic wildlife, and learn why Santa really travels in a sleigh.

This Expedition will also delight students with five colorful panoramas of holiday moments, which teachers can use in conjunction with the lesson plan available on TES. They’ll see how different people and myths have contributed to making modern Santa, visit the wooden kota he calls home, and learn about his very own post office in Finland. They can peek into the stables where the nimble little Svalbard reindeer live, explore the great warehouse where elves make millions of gifts while playing international games, and learn how Santa achieves his incredible feat on Christmas Eve thanks to physics and technology -- an unexpected science lesson that any kid will enjoy.
expeditions_holiday2.png

Teachers and students exploring the history of Judaism this Hanukkah can pay a virtual visit to Google Arts & Culture's online exhibit of Judaica artifacts from Moscow's Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center. It showcases a fascinating array of items from the everyday lives and holiday celebrations of Russian Jews dating back to Peter the Great. The exhibit serves as a history lesson on how Jewish culture and traditions in Russia have been sustained across generations and centuries despite major migrations, wars, and geopolitical changes.


As we wrap up our year and look forward to a new year of learning in 2017, our teams here at Google Expeditions and Google Arts & Culture wish everyone joy and happiness this season!

The Elbphilharmonie is ready on Google. Come on in!

Since laying the foundation stone on April 2, 2007, Hamburg citizens and more have been waiting for the opening of the new cultural centerpiece of the Hansestadt: the Elbphilharmonie. Over the weekend the Plaza is finally opened, and architectural fans and music lovers alike can get a first impression of the impressive building in the HafenCity. At 37 meters tall, the public viewing balcony between the brick harbor storage and the glassy new building now offers an all-round view of the city and the port.

Elbphilharmonie

But a little patience is still needed for visitors: the concert area of ​​the Elbphilharmonie will not open its doors until January 2017. At Google, we didn’t want to wait that long. That is why, in partnership with the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, we’re giving an early preview of the Grand Hall on Google Arts & Culture and Google Maps!

With the help of Google Street View you can virtually walk from the main entrance over an 82 meter long, slightly arched escalator called the Tube which leads to the large panoramic window with harbor view. From there, you can take a second short escalator and a staircase to the Plaza and continue your way to the Grand Hall, the heart of the Elbphilharmonie. The large concert hall, which can accommodate as many as 2,100 visitors, is built according to the vineyard principle--which means the stage is in the middle and is surrounded by terraced audience seats. Above the stage you can see the great sound reflector hovering.
Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall
A Street View colleague is photographing the Grand Hall.

Speaking of sound: Have you already discovered the Klais organ with its 4,765 pipes? You can count them going to the 15th floor between seating sections P and Q  behind the acoustic wall (also called the "White Skin").

But that's not all: we're going to travel with you into the history of the space at g.co/elbphilharmonie. You can also access the content via mobile app of Google Arts & Culture (available free of charge for all iOS and Android devices). With just a few clicks, you can see how the Elbphilharmonie was created - from idea to reality. In this virtual exhibition, we are showing the architectural history of the Elbphilharmonie in numerous pictures and videos, making it for everyone possible to explore the impressive performance of the architects.

Harbor
The 1,111 reinforced concrete beamers of the foundation had to be supplemented by a further 650 piles, to carry the 200,000 tonne weight of the Elbphilharmonie.

We’re also taking an additional step further into the past. Historical photos show the history of the former Kaispeicher A, on which today the glassy new building of the Elbphilharmonie stands.

Historical Harbor
The Kaiserspeicher was severely damaged in the Second World War, and therefore was blown up in 1963. On its own site, the second Kaispeicher A was constructed: a straightforward, solid brick building.

A particularly impressive experience is provided if you’re using a Google Cardboard, on which the tour through the building becomes a virtual reality experience - and the organ in the Grand Hall is close at hand. And with Google Expeditions, whole school classes can virtually travel to the Elbphilharmonie.

We are very happy to be able to take you to the new cultural heart of Hamburg and wish you a lot of fun discovering it!

The Elbphilharmonie is ready on Google. Come on in!

Since laying the foundation stone on April 2, 2007, Hamburg citizens and more have been waiting for the opening of the new cultural centerpiece of the Hansestadt: the Elbphilharmonie. Over the weekend the Plaza is finally opened, and architectural fans and music lovers alike can get a first impression of the impressive building in the HafenCity. At 37 meters tall, the public viewing balcony between the brick harbor storage and the glassy new building now offers an all-round view of the city and the port.

Elbphilharmonie

But a little patience is still needed for visitors: the concert area of ​​the Elbphilharmonie will not open its doors until January 2017. At Google, we didn’t want to wait that long. That is why, in partnership with the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, we’re giving an early preview of the Grand Hall on Google Arts & Culture and Google Maps!

With the help of Google Street View you can virtually walk from the main entrance over an 82 meter long, slightly arched escalator called the Tube which leads to the large panoramic window with harbor view. From there, you can take a second short escalator and a staircase to the Plaza and continue your way to the Grand Hall, the heart of the Elbphilharmonie. The large concert hall, which can accommodate as many as 2,100 visitors, is built according to the vineyard principle--which means the stage is in the middle and is surrounded by terraced audience seats. Above the stage you can see the great sound reflector hovering.
Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall
A Street View colleague is photographing the Grand Hall.

Speaking of sound: Have you already discovered the Klais organ with its 4,765 pipes? You can count them going to the 15th floor between seating sections P and Q  behind the acoustic wall (also called the "White Skin").

But that's not all: we're going to travel with you into the history of the space at g.co/elbphilharmonie. You can also access the content via mobile app of Google Arts & Culture (available free of charge for all iOS and Android devices). With just a few clicks, you can see how the Elbphilharmonie was created - from idea to reality. In this virtual exhibition, we are showing the architectural history of the Elbphilharmonie in numerous pictures and videos, making it for everyone possible to explore the impressive performance of the architects.

Harbor
The 1,111 reinforced concrete beamers of the foundation had to be supplemented by a further 650 piles, to carry the 200,000 tonne weight of the Elbphilharmonie.

We’re also taking an additional step further into the past. Historical photos show the history of the former Kaispeicher A, on which today the glassy new building of the Elbphilharmonie stands.

Historical Harbor
The Kaiserspeicher was severely damaged in the Second World War, and therefore was blown up in 1963. On its own site, the second Kaispeicher A was constructed: a straightforward, solid brick building.

A particularly impressive experience is provided if you’re using a Google Cardboard, on which the tour through the building becomes a virtual reality experience - and the organ in the Grand Hall is close at hand. And with Google Expeditions, whole school classes can virtually travel to the Elbphilharmonie.

We are very happy to be able to take you to the new cultural heart of Hamburg and wish you a lot of fun discovering it!

The Elbphilharmonie is ready on Google. Come on in!

Since laying the foundation stone on April 2, 2007, Hamburg citizens and more have been waiting for the opening of the new cultural centerpiece of the Hansestadt: the Elbphilharmonie. Over the weekend the Plaza is finally opened, and architectural fans and music lovers alike can get a first impression of the impressive building in the HafenCity. At 37 meters tall, the public viewing balcony between the brick harbor storage and the glassy new building now offers an all-round view of the city and the port.

Elbphilharmonie

But a little patience is still needed for visitors: the concert area of ​​the Elbphilharmonie will not open its doors until January 2017. At Google, we didn’t want to wait that long. That is why, in partnership with the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, we’re giving an early preview of the Grand Hall on Google Arts & Culture and Google Maps!

With the help of Google Street View you can virtually walk from the main entrance over an 82 meter long, slightly arched escalator called the Tube which leads to the large panoramic window with harbor view. From there, you can take a second short escalator and a staircase to the Plaza and continue your way to the Grand Hall, the heart of the Elbphilharmonie. The large concert hall, which can accommodate as many as 2,100 visitors, is built according to the vineyard principle--which means the stage is in the middle and is surrounded by terraced audience seats. Above the stage you can see the great sound reflector hovering.
Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall
A Street View colleague is photographing the Grand Hall.

Speaking of sound: Have you already discovered the Klais organ with its 4,765 pipes? You can count them going to the 15th floor between seating sections P and Q  behind the acoustic wall (also called the "White Skin").

But that's not all: we're going to travel with you into the history of the space at g.co/elbphilharmonie. You can also access the content via mobile app of Google Arts & Culture (available free of charge for all iOS and Android devices). With just a few clicks, you can see how the Elbphilharmonie was created - from idea to reality. In this virtual exhibition, we are showing the architectural history of the Elbphilharmonie in numerous pictures and videos, making it for everyone possible to explore the impressive performance of the architects.

Harbor
The 1,111 reinforced concrete beamers of the foundation had to be supplemented by a further 650 piles, to carry the 200,000 tonne weight of the Elbphilharmonie.

We’re also taking an additional step further into the past. Historical photos show the history of the former Kaispeicher A, on which today the glassy new building of the Elbphilharmonie stands.

Historical Harbor
The Kaiserspeicher was severely damaged in the Second World War, and therefore was blown up in 1963. On its own site, the second Kaispeicher A was constructed: a straightforward, solid brick building.

A particularly impressive experience is provided if you’re using a Google Cardboard, on which the tour through the building becomes a virtual reality experience - and the organ in the Grand Hall is close at hand. And with Google Expeditions, whole school classes can virtually travel to the Elbphilharmonie.

We are very happy to be able to take you to the new cultural heart of Hamburg and wish you a lot of fun discovering it!