Organ Works

The port city of Busan is the second-largest city in South Korea. In 2025, an international arts and culture center with a concert hall was completed in the city's Citizen Park—a project commissioned by Busan itself. The 54-hectare site on which the center was built only returned to the city's possession in 2006 after being used by the U.S. military for 50 years. Before that, during the Japanese occupation, it served as the headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Army.

Starting in 2010, this historically significant area was transformed into a park with a cultural focus—both a place of remembrance and a space that looks toward the future. The new concert hall seamlessly integrates into this meaningful context, both functionally and visually. Visitors experience how the organic shapes of the landscape transition into the undulating architecture of the building. This dynamic continues inside the concert hall, where music becomes an extension of the architecture—its sound waves conveying messages beyond words.

For the acoustic design and spatial use of the concert hall, the architects drew inspiration from Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, particularly in optimizing sound distribution and ensuring flexible usability. With its exceptional architecture and outstanding acoustics, the Busan Concert Hall is set to achieve the same level of renown in Korea as the Elbphilharmonie enjoys in Germany and Europe. Since its opening in 2025, the center has already established itself as a cultural and architectural landmark in Busan.

A key feature of the concert hall is the new organ, prominently positioned on the front wall above the orchestra stage. In an international competition for the instrument's construction, we won the contract with our proposed concept. The organ boasts a rich disposition that, while emphasizing orchestral and romantic tonal characteristics, remains universally versatile. As expected of a modern concert organ, it is designed to accommodate performances from all musical eras and possesses the necessary power to project its sound effectively in the hall’s relatively dry acoustics—whether as a solo instrument or in collaboration with symphony orchestras.

The first three manual divisions each include a complete tonal pyramid, featuring various pipe shapes, graduated tonal strengths and colors, and carefully balanced aliquot ranks. The Hauptwerk serves as a powerful, universal foundation, while the swellable Positiv leans toward (late) Baroque timbres, and the Schwellwerk follows French-Romantic traditions. The Solo division on the fourth manual, also enclosed, primarily functions as a final dynamic expansion, for example, in fortissimo passages with an orchestra. Additional tonal effects are provided by a carillon and a cymbal star. The pedal division is built on two 32-foot stops, with three octave extensions and two transmissions expanding its musical possibilities. Generous scaling and an intonation designed for symphonic qualities—richness, color, and brilliance—ensure the organ meets the highest concert standards. Our extensive experience in concert organ building and continuous dialogue with concert organists have played a crucial role in its development.

The internal layout is designed to maximize the available vertical space while minimizing the organ’s footprint. The Hauptwerk is centrally positioned behind the curved façade, while the three enclosed divisions are arranged in multiple tiers against the back wall, flanked by the divided pedal section on either side. Organists have access to two consoles: a mechanical key-action console integrated into the organ’s lower structure and a fully electric, mobile console for the orchestra stage.

For the organ’s exterior design, a separate selection process awarded first place to a proposal by our organ designer. The flowing waveforms of the surrounding park and concert hall architecture are echoed in the organ's façade, creating a striking and representative visual focal point. The dynamic arrangement of the seemingly floating pipes embodies music as a part of nature, guiding the viewer’s eye gently through the prospect.

Our new Opus magnum was completed in March 2025 and inaugurated in July 2025 with a grand concert.