Concertgebouw

Lonely Planet review

The literal name 'Concert Building' scarcely does justice to this amazing facility, which attracts some 850,000 visitors a year to 800 shows. This makes it the busiest concert hall in the world but, refreshingly, it hasn't lost its common touch.

The Concertgebouw was completed in 1888 to a neo-Renaissance design by AL van Gendt. In spite of his limited musical knowledge, he managed to give the two-tiered Grote Zaal (Main Hall) near-perfect acoustics that are the envy of sound designers worldwide. Add in baroque trim, panels inscribed with names of classical composers, a massive pipe organ and a grand staircase via which conductors and soloists descend to the stage, and you've got a venue where the best performers are honoured to appear.

In the 1980s the Concertgebouw threatened to collapse because its 2000 wooden piles were rotting. Thanks to new technology, the piles made way for a concrete foundation, and the building was thoroughly restored to mark its 100th anniversary. The architect Pi de Bruin added a glass foyer along the southern side that most people hate, though everyone agrees it's effective.