The Szczecin Philharmonic Hall is a thing of beauty: a bright, translucent and upstanding object. Located in Poland's city of Szczecin, the building that was designed by the Spanish architectural firm, Barozzi Veiga, is an interesting addition that strikes up a contemporary dialogue with its context.
The edifice, which replaces an earlier music hall destroyed during WWII, marks a watershed moment in Szczecin's history as the city refocuses its energies on becoming a historical, cultural, and tourist destination. Barozzi Veiga's simple building triumphed over worthy competitors such as O'Donnell + Tuomey's London School of Economics Student Centre and BIG's Danish Maritime Museum to receive the Mies van der Rohe Award, the most coveted architecture honor in the European Union, in 2015.
This winning project finds a convincing formal and spatial strategy for a city which strives for a better future in a fast-changing economy and social patterns, delivering a dignity to urban life and the same time enhancing the city's specific historical identity with a contemporary monument - The Jury
The architects drew inspiration from the pitched roofs of neighboring attractive residential structures, the grandeur of Szczecin's neo-Gothic churches, and the pointedness of the cranes at the city's port to design a mass of slender silver icebergs. The elevation design maintains the streetscape's height while achieving an upbeat rhythm, establishing the perfect balance of massiveness and verticality. In a city that is saturated with deep historical narratives and a 'baroqueness' of architectural detailing, Barrozi Veiga has made a commendable attempt to distill the most salient motifs and suggest a way forward for Szczecin's built environment.
Visitors approach via an ample piazza that gives room for one to appreciate the vast whiteness and sublime industrial aesthetic. The entrance is purposefully aloof and understated. It is a sly move, a classic denial and reward manoeuvre by the architect to create an 'aha' moment once one crosses the threshold into the reception hall. If the building seems introverted from a passersby perspective, then the reception hall goes all out! It's a massive, pristine space that toys with the senses. Light filters through the roof, and one can appreciate the interplay of volumes on display. Two major staircases grace this transition space. One is large and plain; the other is sculptural and attention-seeking. An eating space is tucked under a large cube-like form, next to the sculptural stair, to achieve a comfortable human scale.
The structure contains two concert halls for musical and cultural performances. They are accessible by several staircases and are surrounded by foyers and a plethora of versatile rooms. The main hall has 951 seats and has received accolades for its amazing acoustic ambience. The ostentatiousness of historic opera houses is modernized by triangular gold-leaf plates on the ceiling plane. Skylights illuminate the performance hall's front and back walls. As a result, during the day, the interplay of light gives the hall an ethereal and golden appearance. The second hall has 192 seats and is in sharp contrast to its counterpart—bare and totally black.
The philharmonic hall is equipped with innovative architectural technology. The building's envelope consists of a double-skin structure that provides thermal and acoustic insulation. At night, the facade is illuminated by a sophisticated LED lighting system that can be programmed to change colors. Inside, the reception hall's walls are 'treated' with thin openings similar to those on the outside. This acoustic buffer diffuses sound, eliminates echoes, and creates an environment suitable to casual discussion among big groups gathered in the spacious foyer before an event. For an architecture that seems simple and pristine, such as this, it sure took intense design thinking to fit in a complex program and let all the obtrusive construction details fade into the background. Barozzi Veiga have added to their elaborate portfolio and set a benchmark for architects looking to design a cultural facility.
Project Information
Architect:
Studio Barozzi Veiga
Location:
Szczecin, Poland
Client: Philharmonic Orchestra of Szczecin
Principal Architects: Fabrizio Barozzi, Alberto Veiga Project
Leads: Pieter Janssens, Agnieszka Samsel Design
Team: Marta Grządziel, Isak Mayor, Petra Jossen, Cristina Lucena, Cristina Porta, Ruben Sousa
Structural: BOMA Acoustics: Arau Acustica
Main Contractor: WARBUD
Collaborators: GLA Engineering, Anoche Iluminación
Area: 13 000 sqm
Status: Completed, 2014
Photographs:
Hufton + Crow, Studio Barozzi Veiga
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