The Organ

Interestingly, the organ was not included in the original plans for the Kölner Philharmonie. It was only after the hall was completed in 1986 that the Klais organ workshop in Bonn was commissioned to build an instrument for the concert hall. And yet today, with its seven round towers, it blends so harmoniously into the hall and forms a counterpart to the spiral staircase opposite.  

The combination of its individual registers meets the requirements of a concert organ: it can be played as a solo instrument, serve as an accompaniment, and hold its own against an orchestra. It has three manuals and originally had 70 registers with a total of 5,394 pipes, a mechanical action and electric register action. Following changes to the disposition in 2009 and 2010, the organ now has 67 stops. The purpose of this measure was to adapt the organ's sound to today's listening habits and the musical practice of today's organists.