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CONCEPT
CONCEPT

With Koolhaas’ reputation for the
provocative, it was obvious that he would try
to subvert the traditional rectangular
‘shoe-box’ shaped music hall convention.
After researching, however, the acoustic
quality of existing concert halls Koolhaas
was forced to conclude that the best halls in
the world have a shoe box shape. So that’s
what the Casa da Musica got. However, that’s
not to say Koolhaas didn’t let his invention
run riot. The main auditorium is suffused with
daylight from the two walls made entirely of
glass, an oddity in the music world as glass
scatters sound in random directions.
However, Koolhaas’ ingenuity overcame the
problem by making the glass ripple in tightly
curved folds, and setting two glass sheets a
metre apart to insulate the hall from exterior
noise. “The main auditorium is suffused with
daylight from the two walls made entirely of
glass.” Addressing the idea that most
cultural institutions only benefit a minority of
people in any given place, Casa da Musica
has been designed so that the building
reveals its contents to the city, and everyone
inside also has breathtaking views of the city
and the sea. The façade is of concrete and
glass. The 400mm thick faceted shell of the
building bears the load. It holds the
longitudinal direction and acts as an internal
stiffening diaphragm for providing structural
stability. The Casa da Musica is designed to
create relationship between the concert hall
and the public inside and outside the building.

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