Exceptional Architecture and Touristic Impact: A Synthetic Control Study of Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie

Yannick Eckhardt, Jakob Hoffmann and Philipp Namberger
Additional contact information
Jakob Hoffmann: LMU Munich

No fz3bg_v1, SocArXiv from Center for Open Science

Abstract: Exceptional architecture is widely recognized for its seeming impact on the cultural and economic trajectories of cities. However, the specific attractive potential of any given project and thus its impact on the regional economy is often contentious, and identifying measurable increases for outcomes of interest, such as visitor numbers, is empirically challenging. This study investigates the causal effects of the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg on local tourism development. Employing the synthetic control method, we create a counterfactual scenario to estimate how Hamburg’s tourism trajectory might have unfolded without the construction of the Elbphilharmonie. Contrasting recent debates highlighting the often underwhelming nature of 'star architecture', our findings indicate that the concert hall has had a major effect on tourism: In the seven and a half years from its opening in January 2017 to the second quarter of 2024, the Elbphilharmonie is estimated to be responsible for 13 million additional overnight stays, despite the period covering the covid pandemic.

Date: 2025-07-31
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://osf.io/download/688a4b88c8b595f63b256d81/

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:osf:socarx:fz3bg_v1

DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/fz3bg_v1

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in SocArXiv from Center for Open Science
Bibliographic data for series maintained by OSF ().