The new Music School building is located in a redeveloped downtown area that has recently been converted from derelict industrial to public and residential use. The narrow building lot is located on the northern edge of a city block, bordered by streets on three sides. Heterogeneous surroundings gave incentive for a more complex volume composition resulting in three volumes, connected by a glazed entrance hall.1. The principal horizontal volume houses music classrooms. It evokes the form of flute, with street windows emulating musical rhythm. The wrapping of dark gray vertical metal strips accentuates the shape. Enmeshed eastern elevation serves as a fire escape. Inside, the building is divided into single classrooms with oblique interior walls preventing unwanted echoes. 2. The courtyard volume, clad in lighter silver metal, houses a music hall already appreciated for its excellent acoustics. It serves as a concert hall for the school as well as for the local community. 3. The attached "drum" of the opaque white street volume houses management offices, ballet studios and musical theory classrooms. Acoustic, structural and energy supply concept go hand in hand - because of the acoustics the building is very heavy - all-concrete structure with smaller openings allows for greater spans, which are divided into classrooms with dry wall partitions that can be moved to create different geometries of classrooms. Because of the heavy structure, efficient ventilated facade and well chosen glazing energy consumption is very low while achieving best comfort for students and personnel.
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