The Concertgebouw Circuit : an interactive tour through the Concertgebouw

Sebastian Seeger 05 december 2017

Why should one visit a concert hall, without going to a concert? The Bruges Concertgebouw offers a variety of good reasons to do so! Betake yourself on the interactive tour through the Concertgebouw and you will soon recognize that it doesn’t only offer great concerts, especially for aficionados of old music. It’s also a museum of modern art. It gives insights in the world of tones and provides you with multiple angles of view of the building, the city and creative processes at such. The Concertgebouw even encourages visitors to create music themselves.

Right at the beginning of the interactive tour, you will be provided with a foretaste of the many art treasures, that the Concertgebouw houses. The staircase that leads to the two concert halls forming the heart of the building, is crowned by a photorealistic artwork of the Belgian artist Dirk Braeckman printed on Japanese tissue paper.

When you look at it, the fascinating architecture, with its square shapes and clear structures, stands out. Each step to the front or to the side opens a new angle through the building. At every level, the perception of its structure changes.

The stairway to the balconies of the concert hall (2^nd floor) is also a source of wonder: apparently church bells are hanging down the ceiling. But are they really what they appear to be? What’s the story behind this installation and what do the bells have in common with Bruges?

A guided tour offers fascinating answers to these questions. This is just one reason, why it pays to be guided through the building. Another reason is the two 'postcard'-motives the Concertgebouw offers. Simply ask your guide for them! No worries, the tour is also possible without a guide. Look for details below.

Those who could leave the bells behind turn around and will be greeted by a huge angel painted on the wall by Luc Tuymans. One wonders: is that a harp next to the angel? How many people are represented? What does the artist want to say with the connection between angel and music?

The space in front of the painting is also typical for the variety of the concert building: it’s a place for music and interaction. Regularly, cozy small-group concerts take place, in which the artists particularly engage in dialogue with the painting. It is not surprising that these concert series are called 'Angel Series'. If you want to know what has been performed so far, all you have to do is put on the headphones and listen to the various creations.

During the tour a door will open for you to provide you some insights into the backstage part of the concert hall. A unique opportunity! To name just a few attractions you will experience: an exciting view of the concert hall from the highest level, video installations, a time-lapse of how changing daylight plays with the shapes and structures of the building, portraits of various artists showing them while thinking about Mozart and a room whose echo will make you tremble (be aware!).

After many audiovisual impressions, you will be led into the interaction room of the building. It’s the chance to make music yourself. Use your body and connect two sound sculptures in order to create different sounds. Try if you can act faster, then the sculptures react! Or assume the role of a composer using the music maker software on one of the Mac-computers to bring your beat to live.

The tour ends on the roof terrace with a breathtaking view over Bruges. That’s a perfect break after the inspiring tour and before plunging into the exploration of this quaint town.