The new Music School building is
located in a redeveloped downtown area that has recently been
converted from derelict industrial to public and residential
use. The narrow building lot is located on the northern edge
of a city block, bordered by streets on three sides. Heterogeneous
surroundings gave incentive for a more complex volume composition
resulting in three volumes, connected by a glazed entrance
hall.
1. The principal horizontal
volume houses music classrooms. It evokes the form of flute,
with street windows emulating musical rhythm. The wrapping
of dark gray vertical metal strips accentuates the shape.
Enmeshed eastern elevation serves as a fire escape. Inside,
the building is divided into single classrooms with oblique
interior walls preventing unwanted echoes.
2. The courtyard volume, clad in lighter silver metal, houses
a music hall already appreciated for its excellent acoustics.
It serves as a concert hall for the school as well as for
the local community.
3. The attached "drum" of the opaque white street volume houses
management offices, ballet studios and musical theory classrooms.
Acoustic, structural and energy supply concept go hand in
hand - because of the acoustics the building is very heavy
- all-concrete structure with smaller openings allows for
greater spans, which are divided into classrooms with dry
wall partitions that can be moved to create different geometries
of classrooms. Because of the heavy structure, efficient ventilated
facade and well chosen glazing energy consumption is very
low while achieving best comfort for students and personnel.
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