A new 1,300-seat concert hall is set for construction in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Steven Holl Architects and Architecture Acts won an international competition to design the project.
The building was designed as a “perfect acoustic instrument in its case,” according to the architects. A smooth case of zinc cladding holds an “instrument” in an extended vineyard-type plan made of concrete and maple wood. The hall is positioned facing an existing park at the building’s rear in order to shield urban traffic noise. A new entrance on the promenade rises over the top of the existing historical Cultural Center in a sky-lit lobby for the new hall.
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Inside, Leoš Janáček’s theories of time will guide and organize the concert hall’s interior geometry. Acoustic panels are organized according to scasovani, or rhythm, in three variants: Znici = sounding, Scitaci = counting, Scelovac = summing.
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See Also: BIG’s MÉCA combines three regional art agencies into one loop
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The Ostrava Concert Hall will provide performance space for the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra. It is slated for completion in 2023.
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