Sarajevo Concert Hall - concept - IBA

general description

This project is part of an ongoing investigation into the development of a topological geometry within the domain of fractals, and in this respect, our project takes its place within the contemporary exploration of new, hybridized space; developed from the infinite space of modernism, but without an idealistic set of rules about form and functionality. Instead we look for rules in the material itself. The various facilities in the Concert Hall are organized on a field, a surface created in such a way that it is receptive to stimuli and is structured by light and other 'less material' substances. We propose that this field should be as little obstructed as possible, to create a sense of vastness and to encourage cross-pollination between facilities.

concept description

Literal folding was used to integrate, and where necessary, to separate programmatic elements. This created a fluid, but nevertheless distinct movement throughout the building. The simplicity of the literal fold helped to ensure readability. The open surface allowed for a strong sense of the Concert Hall's interconnectedness with its surroundings - the parliament building, the square, the park-strip and the river.
The foyer, which stretches through the building, has its point of gravity on the side of the building that contains the 'glacier-wall'. This wall allows direct access to the main auditorium. Indeed, of all the folds, the one that produces the glacier-wall is the most significant: it is at this point that mass becomes surface and the shoebox shape of the auditorium is 'unboxed'. A sloping landscape with its potential for inhabitation has taken its place.