Marienkirche, Church building in Neubrandenburg, Germany
Marienkirche is a red brick Gothic hall church in Neubrandenburg, built from 1248 and completed in 1298. Its 90-metre tower, reconstructed in 1983, is the city's tallest structure. The east gable, made between 1292 and 1297, is the oldest tracery in North German brick Gothic. Since 2001 the interior has held a concert hall by Pekka Salminen, with a suspended glass ceiling of glass pyramids.
The church was built in the 13th century and is one of the oldest structures still standing in the city. Toward the end of the 20th century, the Finnish architect Pekka Salminen oversaw major work that adapted the interior for use as a concert and event space.
The name of the church refers to the veneration of Mary, and the interior still carries traces of that origin in its tall vaulted space and bare brick walls. Today the building draws people in for concerts and public gatherings rather than regular worship.
The building sits in the center of Neubrandenburg and is easy to reach on foot from most parts of the old town. Since it mainly opens for scheduled events, checking the program ahead of time is a good idea before planning a visit.
The concert hall is built as a "house within a house" inside the old brick walls, with a suspended ceiling of glass pyramids in different shapes that enhances the acoustics. A wall doubling as a fire screen separates the foyer from the shoebox-shaped hall, which seats up to 1,100 depending on the setup.
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