house of music by coop himmelb(l)au in final building phase

house of music by coop himmelb(l)au in final building phase
photo © markus pillhofer
all images courtesy of coop himmelb(l)au

construction at the ‘house of music’ by international practice coop himmelb(l)au has moved into its final phase. located in aalborg, denmark the scheme is arranged around the concept of a shared synergy, reflecting the vibrant and dynamic nature of music, creativity and art. the design combines cultural and educational facilities with shared public and performance spaces – an open system which enables the exchange of ideas and knowledge between the artists, students and educators.

the scheme is arranged around the concept of a shared synergy, reflecting the vibrant and dynamic nature of music
photo © markus pillhofer

approaching the concert hall, the entrances are formed by a combination of distinct architectural elements; the restaurant cone and a sweeping fluid roof, which are designed to encourage flow through the clearly defined foyer. the practical separation of access and circulation routes enables each of the institutions to operate independently.

the design combines cultural and educational facilities with shared public and performance spaces
photo © markus pillhofer

the program is articulated around a foyer which connects the scheme. at the core of the U-shaped development, a 1,300 seat symphonic concert hall is enclosed by educational facilities and performance support areas. the building composition opens to the north into this public lobby, providing views over the adjacent fjord and culture square. three ancillary halls compliment the main volume and are organized beneath the concourse, optimizing floor space and ensuring a lively and diverse social environment.

a rhythmic pattern of recessed ameboid forms framing windows which puncture the music hall’s walls
photo © markus pillhofer

the ‘interchange level’ forms an extension of the main public atrium, raised above the back of house zone creating a horizontal void with special lounges, viewing points into the main concert hall and access to the roof terrace. the structure allows for formal and informal encounters through pockets of shared areas, designed to serve as communal platforms.

the entrances are formed by a combination of distinct architectural elements
photo © markus pillhofer

the concert hall itself will be among the quietest rooms for symphonic music in europe, with a noise reduction rating of NR10. from outside, the venue appears as a monolithic expanse with natural materials and colors, however upon entering the volume fluid curvilinear geometries lend a theatrical sense of atmosphere to the space. for economy and optimal noise isolation, the primary hall is constructed on ground level as an entirely separate structure.

large windows allow light inside the expansive foyer area
photo © markus pillhofer

from an environmental perspective, the foyer uses natural ventilation for fresh air with low-level windows for intake and high-level vents for exhaust. the structure’s high thermal mass ensures the cooled walls from the night radiate cool energy to the room during the day. the building is equipped with a BMS system (building management system), which can monitor and control the HVAC system, minimizing the waste of energy.

the initial proposal for the scheme was unveiled in 2009, and the venue is set to open later in 2014.

the current state of the construction site
photo © markus pillhofer

the concert hall itself will be among the quietest rooms for symphonic music in europe
photo © markus pillhofer

the ‘house of music’ is scheduled to open later in 2014
photo © markus pillhofer

1/24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

project info:

chronology:
competition (1st prize): 2003
start of planning: hom II: feb 2008

net floor area: 17,637 sqm
gross floor area: 20,257 sqm

house of music II project team
planning: coop himmelb(l)au – wolf d. prix / w. dreibholz & partner ZT GmbH
design principal/ CEO: wolf d. prix
project partner: michael volk
project architect: marcelo bernardi, pete rose
design architect: luzie giencke
design architect – interior: eva wolf
CAD coordinator: ronny böser, benjamin schmidt
project team: markus baumann, wendy fok, robin heather, ivana jug, ariane marx, anja sorger, bo stjerne thomsen, anna wasserthal, philip wilck, blaine lepp, talya kozminsky, hannes walzl, morten grau jensen, stephanie neufeld, tyler bornstein, laura githa, julia gärtner, jenny draxlbauer        
3D visualization: armin hess/ isochrom, vienna, silkroad, beijing, china, jens mehlan, jörg hugo
photography: markus pillhofer

client: north jutland house of music foundation, aalborg, denmark

local architects: friis & moltke, aalborg, denmark
landscape architect: jeppe aagaard andersen, helsingør, denmark
structural engineering: rambøll, aalborg, denmark; B+G ingenieure, bollinger und grohmann gmbh, frankfurt, germany
mechanical, electrical and fire engineering: nirás, aalborg, denmark
acoustical and theater consultant: artec consultants inc, new york, USA
cost consultant: davis langdon LLP, london, england

house of music i project team
2002 – 2007
design principal: wolf d. prix
project partner: michael volk
design architect: andrea graser
project architect: oliver sachse
project team: marcelo bernardi, jesper bork, bo stjerne hansen, roberta jiraschek, daniel krüger, carsten laursen, martin oberascher, florian pfeifer, robert pippan, marita schnepper, sigrid svensson, eva wolf, carola böker, moa carlson, isak foged, annina gähwiler, patricia gola, robin heather, per kruse, win man, ruth mandl, aline müller, tenna olsen, anke pasolt, annemarie pedersen, eva ravnborg, carolin schmitz-remberg, tim seidl, guro sollid, michele zanella, jan-ruben fischer
competition team: karolin schmidbaur, michael volk, ian collins, joseph chang, gavin farley, sophie grell, georg kolmayr, james lowder, eric young, jorge avila, jesse blankenship, rodrigo chávez, catherine garrison, sergio gonzalez, debi vanzyl
photography: markus pillhofer
3d visualization: armin hess/isochrom, matthias ecker, stefan laub