Space for contemporary music, NOTCH festival in Beijing, China, Spring 08
Visiting professor: Ryue Nishizawa/ SANAA
My project has taken the course’s first topic, landscape, as main generator. - A landscape is truly continuous; it moves under, trough and over objects. In this conception, architecture and space can become the landscape itself. On a vast construction site with no authentic landscape left to preserve, the intention is to add an artificial landscape, a new layer in Beijing. The landscape is introducing an intimate topography in a context of large flat distances.
PROGRAM - STACKING AND PACKING
The intention is to apply the layered structure of landscape as an organizational and programmatic principle. The different layers are specific for each program and scale.
The layers merge where there are structural or programmatic connections and split to create openings. This principle has generated a structure with a small footprint that leaves a generous space to the park.
MUSIC HALL:
Due to its varied program the NOTCH festival has a diverse audience: An informal, landscaped hall forms different places to sit, stand and dance. The intention is to create an intimate atmosphere, with proximity to the stage and view to the park. The acoustic shells are laminated wood, painted white. The glass facade is constructed of vertical triangular profiles, to be acoustically friendly and handle tall openings.
FOYER
The foyer is considered an open space; it is outdoors, partly covered and integrated with the everyday activities in the park. All public circulation is exposed due to its location in the edges of the building and becoming part of the buildings appearance.
THE OUTDOOR STAGE
The outdoor stage is considered a large flexible landscape, covered with a light roof for rain protection. Two holes are letting light in right in front of the stage and around a bar in top. Behind the stage area there is a suspended canvas for video projection, filtering the view to the new Beijing skyline.
STRUCTURE
The structure is intended to be voided concrete shells (three-axis bubble deck).