The Golden Hall of Musikverein is where Vienna New Year's Concert is held every year. The concert hall is known for its visual beauty and impeccable acoustics.

Musikverein means "music society" in German. In 1812 the "Society of Music Lovers of the Austrian Empire" was founded. The Society's original building no longer stands. It had an auditorium designed specifically for piano recitals and chamber music. For orchestra concerts, they used the Redoutensaal in the Hofburg, or the Winter Riding School.

It was obvious, that the Music Society needed a larger concert home. In 1863 Emperor Franz Josef gave them a site close to Karlskirche. The Society chose the project of the architect Theophil von Hansen, an outstanding representative of neoclacissism. Von Hansen had studied and worked in Greece, and was interested in ancient Greek and especially in Byzantine architecture. These influences can be clearly seen in the gabled facade, Orpheus, the ionian columns, lApollo and the nine Muses on the ceiling of the Golden Hall, and the many caryatids.

There are several factors, which explain the remarkable acoustic of the Golden Hall. The room has ideal proportions. The ceiling is made of wood and is not simply mounted but is hung from the rafters, which allows it to vibrate and resonate with the music. Under the floor there is a hollow area, which functions like a resonance chamber. The balance between raised and flat surfaces provides for an ideal spread of sound waves. It is remarkable that von Hansen has created this marvel of acoustics following his intuition, as the science of acoustics emerged only in the 20th century.