Friday 10 July 2009

JS Bach Chamber Music Hall by Zaha Hadid Architects

Chamber Music Hall by ZHA 1Chamber Music Hall by ZHA 2
A collaboration between Zaha Hadid Architects and Sandy Brown Associates, this unique chamber music hall for solo performances of Johann Sebastian Bach exquisite music,
"enhances the multiplicity of Bach’s work through a coherent integration of formal and structural logic. A single continuous ribbon of fabric swirls around itself, creating layered spaces to cocoon the performers and audience with in an intimate fluid space,"
-Zaha Hadid.

The curving ribbon not only creates strong architectural statement but it is also a great acoustic environment as the form helps scatter the sound reflections to eliminate flutter echoes and enhance the acoustic experience of the concert.
Chamber Music Hall by ZHA 3Chamber Music Hall by ZHA 4Chamber Music Hall by ZHA 5
'The ribbon wraps around the stage, the audience and itself, creating different layered conditions by “alternately compressing to the size of a handrail then stretching to enclose the full height of the room.”

The undulating surface of the fabric shell in a “constant yet changing rhythm” creates a “soft billowing effect”. When the hall is not in use, programmed lighting and a series of dispersed musical recordings will activate the spaces between the ribbon.

In addition to the strong architectural ideas, the music hall must provide clear acoustics for those viewing the concert. “The challenge of the project was to take a gallery space primarily designed for visual art and help Zaha Hadid Architects in their vision to convert it into a modern extraordinary new performance space for chamber music,” explained Mark Howarth, a partner of Sandy Brown Associates.

"For optimum conditions for chamber music it is important to ensure that the reverberation time is not too long as this blurs individual notes so music can lose its intricacy. Equally it should not be too short as this provides a lack of response for the performer and causes the music to sound overly dry,” explained Howarth. If ZHA added too much additional sound absorptive material, the sound would loose a lot of its quality. Thus, a variety of materials were investigated, such as different fabrics, metals and plastics, to ensure that the architectural elements would not take away from the musical experience.'
- Arch Daily.

Images courtesy of Tony Hogg Design and Base Structures, Zaha Hadid Architects, and Luke Hayes.
Chamber Music Hall by ZHA 6Chamber Music Hall by ZHA 7Chamber Music Hall by ZHA 8Chamber Music Hall by ZHA 9
a+. zaha hadid architects
a+. sandy brown associates
a+. tony hogg design
a+. luke hayes via arch daily
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Monday 6 July 2009

BOP Bowls from Pirwi

Designed by Alejandro Castro from Pirwi, the BOP wooden bowls came as a set of multi-purpose containers that can be used for fruit, plants, toys, newspapers or other objects. There are four different BOP pieces, numbered 1 through 4, which made in birch plywood with exposed edges to emphasize the design's layering.
a+. pirwi Read more...

Cerdo Ahorrador/ Piggy Energy Bank-Lamp

Piggy energy bank is not just a lamp, it is a message inspired in our ecological awareness and our interest in taking the steps to avoid the world energy crisis.

Design by Ariel Rojo Design Studio, the combination of 2 elements that are not normally related to one other:
a piggy bank and an energy saving lamp translate into a brilliant idea to increase the awareness about the immediate importance of energy saving.

- Ariel Rojo.

a+. ariel rojo
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