House of Music

At House of Music in Aalborg, Denmark, a rectilinear training hall wraps around an undulating 1300-person concert hall; both the training hall and concert hall are presaged by an also curvilinear five story foyer. The central core of the building, the Concert hall, is flowing and curvaceous. An optimal acoustic experience was designed by Arup amidst an amorphous plaster structure imbedded with curved balconies and striking views. Surrounding the central core, observation windows puncture the structure at various points and look onto the concert hall. This perforated 3-part assembly creates a continuous exchange between the audience and artists, and students and teachers. Not only a cultural and acoustic destination, the House of Music exemplifies novel energy efficiency! The foyer utilizes natural thermal buoyancy. Water-filled pipes cool the concrete floors in the summer and heat them in the winter. Concrete walls are additional thermal energy storage. Efficient ventilation systems with low air velocity under the seats provide air flow along with piping air vents equipped with efficient rotating heat exchanges. Air is also extracted through a ceiling grid above the lighting system. The buildings’ heat management system ensures that energy consumption is monitored and not wasted. http://spiritofspace.com/hom