Weiskotten Auditorium

Syracuse, NY, United States

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Weiskotten Auditorium

Syracuse, NY, United States

YEAR

2007

SIZE

1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

For the renovation of the 1950?s era Weiskotten lecture hall room 103 at UpstateMedicalUniversity, HOLT Architects were able to creatively incorporate the clients demanding audiovisual, acoustical, lighting and presentation requirements in a teaching space that is dynamic, stimulating, flexible and comfortable. HOLT?s response to this design challenge could be characterized as contemporary contextualism, both respectful of the original building yet at once new and timeless. HOLT has infused the renovation with an aesthetic energy that engages the students through both sensorial and intellect, yet is able fade to the background providing a precise environment for learning.
The materials, wood, fabric, color, light and shadow, give the room the luster and seduction of a jewel. Light and the control of light figures prominently in the design, glowing softly off the flowing wood screens, sliding out behind projecting fabric planes or intensely focused on a students open notebook in a room of darkness. The major feature in the room is the projection wall surround consisting of a large projection screen with horizontal sliding white boards below that flows up toward the ceiling, bending into flowing waves out over the audience. This wave form is acoustically calculated to evenly distribute sound while also being a metaphor of the wave of information being projected to the audience.
HOLT was able to transform the existing inefficient seating layout into a tiered series of tables to meet current university?s desires. One of the design considerations was to provide adequate teaching space at the front of the room where a refined lectern of precise detailing and craftsmanship is the control point for the room.
The side walls will have a wood panels on the lower portions of the wall. This will provide a durable surface and give a comfortable feel to the room. The wood panels will be set in horizontal bands of hardwood. The panels will be set at slight angles to avoid sound bouncing back and forth between parallel walls. The upper parts of the walls are fabric wrapped panels built out to house the HVAC distribution duct. The panels will be reflective in the front third of the room and acoustically absorbent in the rear two thirds.