La Métaphone, a concert hall in Ognies, France, is a 1,980-sm facility with the unique characteristic of being a structural musical instrument. The solar-powered building incorporates musical elements in its walls, which can be played by musicians inside or outside the facility. Architect Isabel Herault, of Herault Arnold Architectes, has referred to the building as an "urban musical instrument."
The central music hall is a fairly traditional black box, wrapped in a skin of glass, steel, and wood. A rooftop lattice supports integrated photovoltaic cells. Instrumental elements include both mechanical and electroacoustic systems, which were prototyped with the eight-module musical facade illustrated in this video:
Instruments are mounted on plates in the building's exterior framing system, and sound is magnified by vibrating bowls that create a loudspeaker effect. The facility's wall panels also have acoustical properties that make them "playable," potentially allowing composers to create works incorporating the entire building.
Related Stories
| Aug 21, 2012
Stellar wins four ABC Excellence In Construction awards
ABC's Excellence In Construction program is the industry’s leading award competition, recognizing outstanding construction projects in a variety of categories.
| Aug 20, 2012
Protecting the artifacts at George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Roof leaks threatened to damage artifacts and disturb a delicately controlled indoor environment at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
| Aug 17, 2012
Ferreri joins PGAL as Principal
Ferreri will be responsible for business development, contract negotiation, project design through construction and staff management/mentoring.
| Aug 17, 2012
Centric Architecture and PLAD Studio merge
The new firm will retain Centric Architecture as its name.
| Aug 15, 2012
MBH Architects announces new appointments
MBH Architects continues to grow, take on new clients.
| Aug 15, 2012
Architects and designers challenged in Allsteel’s reality design competition
KITS mobile app offers flexibility in planning.
| Aug 14, 2012
Leo A Daly welcomes Carl Gentilcore
Gentilcore will be responsible for identifying, developing and managing client relations with key federal government agencies.
| Aug 14, 2012
SOM Foundation announces prize recipients for 2012
Submissions for the SOM Prize were received from students at 34 schools in the U.S.
| Aug 9, 2012
Slideshow: New renderings of 1 WTC
Upon its scheduled completion in early 2014, One World Trade Center will rise 1,776 feet to the top of its spire, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
| Aug 9, 2012
Slideshow: New renderings of 1 WTC
Upon its scheduled completion in early 2014, One World Trade Center will rise 1,776 feet to the top of its spire, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.