The Delicious Transparency of the Hamburgers
If California Really Wants Open Government, a Northern German City Has a Model That Works
California could use a concert hall like Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie.
The signature structure of 21st century Germany sits atop an old pier above a dramatic bend in the Elbe River. Its creative design features performance space for the philharmonic, a dramatically curved escalator, and a dozen different public spaces for people to gather and enjoy spectacular city views.
But what California needs more than this stunning new piece of architecture is the scandal that built it. Originally planned in 2007 as a 186 million Euro project, financed with 77 million Euros from …