ennead architects: bing concert hall at stanford university

‘bing concert hall’ by ennead architects, stanford university, california, usaimage © jeff goldberg / esto all images courtesy of ennead architects

the elliptical space of bing concert hall opened to sold out performances, filling its 842 seats to capacity. the design by richard olcott of ennead architects is the new hub of stanford university and includes artists’ suites, a music library, instrument storage rooms and practice rooms, a lounge and a large performance hall as well as generous ancillary amenity facilities. the architects worked with leading acoustician dr. yasuhisa toyota of nagata acoustics to create an exemplary facility. the myriad curved surfaces accomodate the hall’s primary aim in hosting unamplified musical performances from the likes of jazz, spoken word and experimental music. additionally, video projections, simulcast, mixing and recording technologies are incorporated into the building. the ordered axiality of the stanford campus is maintained while the architecture becomes a porous, glazed gesture on the landscape. the encircling lobby sports strategically placed light wells that work with the 19 foot high glass and aluminum curtain wall, equipped with sliding sections.exterior colonnades frame outdoor gathering spaces that bolster overall campus circulation, while more intimate terraces for performers overlook a generous clearing reserved for outdoor events.

see designboom’s previous coverage of the concert hall and accompanying fly-through video here.