The Elbphilharmonie already exists. 12 years ago, it was presented to the public in the glossy magazines and digital architecture portals and has therefore long since become a reality in our minds and part of our image of the HafenCity of Hamburg. It is questionable whether we will still feel the need to see them in real life after their completion. Is the audience’s desire for reality through the visual media already satisfied? Would the perception of the building give us something new, something we desire?
Starting from a medium of architectural discipline—the model, visualisation, photography, parametric programming and smart ambiences—on the one hand, the complex interrelationship between the understanding of architecture and its media devices is to be addressed. On the other hand, it is important to investigate the influence of these media practises on the perception and confrontation with the real presence of the building. Why do we still have to deal with the building when we can look at design descriptions and representations presented to us much earlier?
Therefore, the question arises as to what happens to our conception of architecture under the influence of certain media practises. How much do images of architecture deceive us? Or do we mimetically construct our reality via the media and what are the consequences?