Houses the German orchestra Konzerthausorchester Berlin. Built as a theatre from 1818 to 1821 under the name of the Schauspielhaus Berlin. The interior was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt, changing the usage to a concert hall and its name was changed to its present one in 1994. The Schauspielhaus is a temple of the muses, where the classics of German drama were performed with belief in their spiritually uplifting character. Schinkel's Schauspielhaus replaced an earlier building (destroyed 1817) by Langhans. The King requested that Schinkel use the surviving foundations and six Ionic columns, although the architect rotated the axis.