House of Music in Aalborg, Denmark

August 21, 2010 Category: House, Residential

Located in Aalborg, Denmark, House of Music was designed by COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. Wolf D. Prix, Design Principal and CEO of COOP HIMMELB(L)AU today presented the final scheme design for the House of Music during a press conference at the Utzon Centre in Aalborg, Denmark. In close collaboration with the builder, Fonden Musikkens Hus i Nordjylland the schematic design has been revised and finalized.

Modifications since the original layout was presented in September 2008 comprise, amongst others, the large stairs leading up to the façade of the house fronting Limfjorden. Instead, an open entrance at ground level has been created, located between the foyer and restaurant.

COOP HIMMELB(L)AU won the design competition for the House of Music in 2003. The 17,744 sq m building will be used as both a cultural and an educational facility, designed to promote a synergy between its two functions. This is achieved by the orientation of public spaces both within and surrounding the building. Formal and informal encounters and exchanges are enabled via public spaces that are oriented towards the adjacent Culture Square and Fjord.

In total, four flexible halls provide the performance and education spaces, at their core is the Main Hall which seats 1,300 in a world-class acoustic environment. The classic shoebox formation allows optimum acoustics and sightlines within the space. The auditorium is intermittently permeated with views out to the public foyer further encouraging the social interaction of space.

Classical and Rhythmic Halls will be used predominantly for educational purposes but will occasionally open to the public. Again attention to acoustics has been paramount in their design with an economically sound box-in-box approach, the use of acoustic ledges and curtains to allow flexible noise absorption. A further ‘Intimate Hall’ provides accommodation for an audience of up to 300 visitors for multiple types of performances and is also intended as the principal practice room for the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra.

A typically dramatic exterior is created in Prix’ design. The use of bold concrete forms is reminiscent of the architect’s award winning design for Central Los Angeles High School #9. The House of Music structure is broken down both physically and symbolically by circular perforations affording a tension between the public and the private which acts to encourage interest.

House of Music Design Architechture Plan