Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic Hall, Szczecin

The Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic Hall in Szczecin is the city's most famous modern building – a cluster of white, ice-like peaks that glows in changing colors after dark. Designed by the Barcelona studio Barozzi Veiga, it won the 2015 EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award, Europe's most prestigious architecture prize. Come for a concert, join a guided building tour in English, or simply step into the luminous lobby.

Where it is and how to get there

Szczecin (pronounced roughly "SHCHEH-cheen"), formerly German Stettin, is in northwest Poland, about 150 km (93 mi) from Berlin – around two hours by car or regional train – and five to six hours by train from Warsaw. The Philharmonic is at ul. Małopolska 48 in the city center, a few minutes' walk from the Chrobry Embankment and the Pomeranian Dukes' Castle, and about 20 minutes on foot from Szczecin Główny station. Street parking downtown is paid.

History

The orchestra gave its first concert on October 25, 1948, and has carried the name of Polish composer Mieczysław Karłowicz since 1958. For decades it had no proper hall. The new building rose on the site of the prewar Konzerthaus, destroyed in World War II. An international competition drew 44 studios; Fabrizio Barozzi and Alberto Veiga won. Construction ran from 2011 to 2014 at a cost of over 100 million PLN, and the hall opened on September 5, 2014, with a fanfare by Krzysztof Penderecki.

Architecture and awards

The steep, zigzag roofline echoes the Gothic Revival gables and spires of the surrounding streets in an abstract, contemporary way. The translucent, ribbed-glass facade is illuminated at night in hundreds of changing colors. Inside, the mood flips: an all-white foyer leads to a gold-leafed symphony hall.

• 2015 Mies van der Rohe Award – chosen from 420 nominated projects and five finalists;
• first prize for Architectural Design of the Year at the Eurobuild Awards 2014.

What's inside

The building covers more than 12,000 m² (129,000 sq ft) on four levels:

• the Symphony Hall ("Sun Hall"), with nearly 1,000 seats; its acoustics were developed with specialist Higini Arau and are often compared to Vienna's Musikverein;
• the Chamber Hall ("Moon Hall"), with 192 seats;
• a Level 4 Gallery and the Art.Room with changing exhibitions;
• a café (Symfonia Cafe) and a music shop.

Guided tours in English

Tours run on selected Fridays – in October–December 2026 every Friday – at 2 pm in English (1 pm in German, 3 pm in Polish). They last about an hour and cover the lobby, Chamber Hall, Symphony Hall, Level 4 Gallery and shop. Tickets cost 30 PLN (reduced 20 PLN) from the box office, ticket machine or online; no seat reservation is needed. Tours may be canceled if the halls are in use. Contact: zwiedzanie@filharmonia.szczecin.pl.

Opening hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

• Building: Tuesday–Sunday 10 am–6 pm, plus one hour before every event (except public holidays).
• Box office: Tuesday–Friday 12–6 pm, Saturday 12–4 pm, and one hour before ticketed events; phone +48 91 431 07 20, kasa@filharmonia.szczecin.pl.
• Concerts: the season runs through the winter; prices vary by event – see the online calendar.

Families and accessibility

The Philharmonic runs a strong family program, including Raniutto weekend workshops for children aged 1–6 (with a parent), EduWerwa family concerts and the Young Music Lover's Academy series for ages 5 and up – mostly in Polish, but music needs little translation. The building is very accessible: the main entrance is step-free, elevators serve every floor and the underground parking garage (with Braille labels and voice announcements), the Symphony Hall has wheelchair spaces, an induction loop is installed, and assistance dogs are welcome throughout. Each level of the underground garage has two accessible parking spaces.

Is it worth visiting?

Absolutely, especially for architecture fans. Time your visit for dusk to see the facade light up, then cross the street to the Dialogue Centre Przełomy, the underground museum named World Building of the Year 2016 – two award-winning buildings facing each other.