A fire broke out today at the Berlin Philharmonic's home, sending thick smoke
pouring from the crest of the iconic downtown building as firefighters and
musicians rushed to save instruments.
The blaze broke out beneath the roof of the building directly over the main
concert hall, which seats 2,500 and is famed for its extraordinary
acoustics. The cause was not immediately clear, said Marco Trenn, a
spokesman for Berlin firefighters. No flames were visible from the outside.
"We don't believe anyone is in danger, as the fire appears to be contained to
the roof," Trenn said. No instruments were believed to be in danger either,
he added.
Still, he said firefighters faced the job of cutting holes in the tent-shaped
roof, which is 160 feet (50 meters) above the ground, to get at the fire.
"To fight this is not simple," he said.
Firefighters rushed to the scene after several calls alerting them to the
blaze at 2:05 p.m. (1205GMT), Trenn said. Fire officials said some 170
firefighters were sent.
Bassoonist Stefan Schweigert said he had arrived at 2:20 p.m. (1220 GMT) to
find the fire already under way.
Nevertheless, musicians were allowed into the building to remove instruments
they had left in their lockers overnight following Monday's rehearsal,
assisted by firefighters.
"We just tried to save the instruments that were locked in the musicians'
lockers," Schweigert said, noting that many of the instruments, such as the
pianos and timpani, are too large to be removed.
While in the main concert hall and the musicians' locker rooms behind it,
Schweigert said he could not see any visible damage but could smell smoke.
Firefighters could be seen on the rooftop of the bright yellow concert hall,
designed by Hans Scharoun and completed in 1963. Together with the city's
main library, it makes up part of the Berlin Kulturforum, or Cultural Forum,
near Potsdamer Platz.
The Philharmonic, the German capital's leading orchestra, is directed by Sir
Simon Rattle.
Other concerts also take place in the building's foyer. A lunchtime
performance was just letting out as the alarm sounded.
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