Since opening to the public, Elbphilharmonie — Hamburg's Elbe Philharmonic Hall — has quickly become a magnet for visitors. A total of 15 million people have flocked to the city's new cultural landmark. With concert tickets selling out quickly, many have visited purely to experience the venue's breathtaking architecture.

The Elbphilharmonie, affectionately known as Elphi, sits atop a former brick warehouse once used for storing cocoa. The concert hall's sail-like exterior is covered in some 16,000 square meters of glass paneling — equivalent in size to two football pitches. The building was designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron.

A funnel-shaped, 50-ton sound reflector hangs suspended from the ceiling of the Great Hall. Its job is to bounce acoustic waves back to the stage and optimize overall acoustics. The contraption also houses lights and technical equipment.

This 2015 picture shows the Great Hall and acoustic reflector still under construction. What is not visible, meanwhile, is its high-end sound proofing. The hall is contained within its very own cocoon, fully isolated from the building's exterior walls. This prevents outside noise from leaking in.

This curved escalator, 82 meters (269 feet) in length, transports visitors from the main entrance up to the 6th floor viewing platform. Riding the longest escalator in Western Europe takes exactly 150 seconds. Since the coronavirus outbreak began, an ultraviolet light device has been installed to disinfect the handrails.

On select days in September, October and November 2021, the Elbphilharmonie was converted into a temporary vaccination center. Jabs were administered in the otherwise inaccessible backstage area. Afterwards, patients could settle down and relax on the Great Hall stage. It was described as "Hamburg's most spectacular vaccination center."

The building boats a spacious outdoor viewing terrace offering magnificent views of Hamburg and its bustling port. A sophisticated bird deterrent system, emitting ultrasonic waves inaudible to humans, keeps pigeons and other birds away. Their droppings, after all, are not just an eyesore, but can pose health risks as well.

After closing due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Elbphilharmonie viewing platform reopened in May 2021. Some 10 million guests had visited by summer 2019. Anyone eager to head up these days must book tickets well in advance, as operators are keen to avoid overcrowding. Guest are urged to maintain a safe distance from others, and are obliged to don face masks.

The Elbphilharmonie also houses the Westin Hamburg, a five-star hotel. Its 200 rooms and almost 40 suites are spread across 21 floors. One night in the lavish 162-square-meter (1,744-square-foot) Eigner Suite will set you back €3,000 (about $3,500). But for that, you'll have no less than two bathrooms, a sauna, a compact kitchen — and breathtaking panoramic views of the city.

The extravagant edifice houses not only concert halls and a hotel, but also more than 40 apartments. In 2018, the last remaining penthouse, a luxurious 290-square-meter residence, was sold to an anonymous buyer for some €11 million. It is located on the building's western tip.

Distinguished violinists, pianists, opera singers, conductors and orchestras regularly grace the Elbphilharmonie. So far, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Helene Grimaud, Jonas Kaufmann, Daniel Barenboim and many others have performed here. So, too, have legendary experimental band Einstürzende Neubauten (pictured) and indie-rock icons The National. Here's to many more years of eclectic live performances!

After 32 festival days and 25 performances, the 2021 Bayreuth Festival came to an end on August 25 with a celebrated concert by the festival orchestra with Andris Nelsons conducting. Even though the COVID safety plan meant only 900 Wagner fans could attend instead of the usual 2,000, it still sent a positive signal to the world after the canceled 2020 festivities.

One woman stood at the center of the 2021 festival: Oksana Lyniv. The Ukrainian was the first woman to conduct atop Green Hill, where Wagner's opera house stands. With assuredness and precision, Lyniv seamlessly overcame the troublesome acoustics. Her conducting of the year's premiere, "The Flying Dutchman," was enthusiastically applauded. She also earned praise from her musical colleagues.

Also praised was the Latvian soprano Asmik Grigorian (right, in yellow), who made her Bayreuth debut as Senta in "The Flying Dutchman." While the staging by Russian director Dmitri Tcherniakov controversially turned a tale of redemption into a small-town crime story, critics gushed that Grigorian's singing itself was a type of redemption.

Recognition must also go to Katharina Wagner. The opera director and great-granddaughter of Richard Wagner has been leading the Bayreuth Festival since 2014. During the course of the coronavirus pandemic, the 43-year-old fell gravely ill and spent multiple months in a coma. It was only in October 2020 that she returned to work and put together an impressive program in a short amount of time.

In 2019, in an early rehearsal for Wagner's "Tannhäuser" directed by Tobias Kratzer, mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova seriously injured her leg and had to miss her debut as Venus. It was a shock for the Russian singer — but also a warning sign: "I was simply doing too much, life was too fast." She finally got to her enjoy her belated Bayreuth debut as Venus, sexy costume and all, this year.

The 34-year-old Norwegian singer is the festival's great hope — one could even say the hope of the whole Wagner world. She wowed audiences as Elisabeth in "Tannhäuser," and her role as Sieglinde in next year's new Ring production is eagerly anticipated. Above is a scene from "Tannhäuser" with Davidsen alongside actor Manni Laudenbach.

For years, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been a Bayreuth Festival regular. This year she met with cast members of "The Flying Dutchman" after its premiere. Her 2021 festival attendance marked one of her last major public appearances as chancellor. Nevertheless, the opera lover and her husband, Joachim Sauer, will likely return to the Green Hill after she leaves office.