DRDH Architects . photos: © Karin Borghouts
Despite its impressive scale and important historical elements, the existing hall does not have the natural attributes of a concert hall, and the previous interior employed electro-acoustic enhancement to create even an acceptable acoustic environment. The new design obviates the need for this by increasing the natural reverberance of the space and improving the experience of both audience and performers, through a number of incremental measures.
The most dramatic, in terms of construction, involved lowering the entire floor of the hall by 1.2m. Beyond increasing the volume of the room by around 13%, this improves direct reflection from the side walls and makes both stage and auditorium fully accessible, with all the historic entrance doors being reinstated. The elongated proportions of the existing space are countered by moving the stage into the center of the room by 5m, while also pulling the rear seats forward to create circulation behind. This increases the feeling of intimacy between the audience and performers, particularly for those in the rear seats, and creates space for choir seating behind the orchestra, above a new backstage area.
The new element is placed, vessel-like, within the larger body of the hall and is conceived as a finely made acoustic timber instrument that tunes the existing volume to provide both an enveloping and immersive sound and an appropriately intimate atmosphere, bringing a renewed sense of purpose to this significant historic setting.
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Client: Muziekcentrum de Bijloke, Ghent, Belgium Architect : DRDH Architects
Project team DRDH: David Howarth, Daniel Rosbottom, Jef Driesen, David Eagleton Heritage Architect : Julian Harrap Architects
Structural engineer : ABT Belgium Theatre and Acoustics : Arup M&E consultant : RCR
Quantity surveyor : ABT Belgium CDM adviser: Vekmo NV
Main contractor : Denys
Area: Masterplan 2,700m2 , Concert Hall and Chapel 1,150m2
Design Period: October 2017- September 2019
ImageImageImageConstruction 5th August 2019 3rd September 2020 ( 336 days ) Form of contract and/ or procurement : Traditional
Funding : FoCI (Flemish Fund for Cultural Infrastructure)
Photography: Karin Borghouts
