Germany: SPIE optimises technical facility management at the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg

Hamburg, 14 March 2024 - SPIE, the independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, has implemented numerous optimisation measures in technical facility management at the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg. The digitalisation of building management, particularly about hazard and energy management, will further increase installations’ availability and will additionally improve the service for customers and visitors to this Hamburg landmark: the technical facility management of the Elbphilharmonie will thus become even more transparent, secure, and digital.

Comprehensive service since 2013

SPIE Deutschland & Zentraleuropa has been responsible for a large part of the technical building installations at this Hamburg landmark since 2013. Since the building's inauguration at the end of 2016, the multi-technical service provider has had its own employees on site 365 days a year, looking after the building services in the public areas of the Elbphilharmonie, such as parts of the hotel, the underground car park, the concert halls, and the catering areas. In order that the complex building technologies of such a structure can be efficiently managed, it needs to be constantly modernised and optimised. “We are proud to have been involved in designing the building installations of this world-renowned concert hall since its inception and to always keep it at the cutting edge of technology to offer our customers and visitors the best possible service. The optimisation measures we have implemented ensure high system availability and sustainably accelerate important technical building processes,” says Lars Buchwald, Branch Manager Hamburg from SPIE's Efficient Facilities operational division.

Extensive measures for digital building operation

The optimisation measures included the planning and installation of future-proof technologies for digital building operation, the implementation of transparent energy management and controlling and the modernisation of the hazard management system.

SPIE replaced the hazard management system with a manufacturer-neutral one that allows interfaces to the main technical building systems. “We analysed the initial situation with the team on site. Together with the client, we then opted for a centralised Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) system that enables the connection of almost all technical building systems regardless of manufacturer or installer,” says Michael Hartung, Head of SPIE's Information & Communication Services operational division. A further digitisation step means that fault messages from remote technical systems are transmitted to mobile devices almost in real time, so that faults can be rectified faster and in a more targeted manner. Remote control and troubleshooting are also possible now.

For transparent energy management and controlling, the multi-technical service provider has installed 270 meter devices as a further optimisation step. Possible energy efficiency measures can be derived from the data provided by these meters.

Close coordination during ongoing operations

The networking and complexity of the systems required a continuous and intensive exchange between the SPIE teams, the client and the manufacturers and installers of the technical building systems in order to design interfaces in the best possible way and to optimally define processes. “As the ongoing operation of the Elbphilharmonie concert hall has priority all the time and must not be disrupted, the implementation of the measures always required close coordination between all participants involved – a challenge that we have successfully overcome,” says Volker Kirsten, Facility Manager from SPIE's Efficient Facilities operational division, who has been looking after the Elbphilharmonie with his team for years.

“We are delighted to be able to support our long-standing client with our extensive expertise. With the measures that have now been implemented, we have significantly increased the safety, transparency, and efficiency of the technical building installations of this Hamburg landmark and are very well positioned for future developments,” says Rainer Hollang, Member of the Management Board of SPIE Deutschland & Zentraleuropa and Managing Director of SPIE Efficient Facilities.