 |
|
|
|||
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
||
|
 |
|
|
Elisabeth Murdoch Hall The vision for Elisabeth Murdoch Hall was developed in 2005 with the completion of the Recital Hall Brief which was informed by extensive industry consultation. Construction has commenced. The Design Team, led by Melbourne-based architect, of Ashton Raggatt McDougall (ARM) and UK-based Acoustic Engineer, Raf Orlowski of Arup Acoustics, has designed a Hall that promises to deliver the visions and aspirations of the Recital Hall Brief. Elisabeth Murdoch Hall has been planned and designed specifically for the presentation and furtherance of fine music in a dedicated, purpose-built centre that will allow the freedom of expression in the best possible form. Elisabeth Murdoch Hall’s unique design is intimate, acoustically excellent and features state-of-the art facilities enabling it to respond to the range of music-making that defines Melbourne’s vibrant music culture. Elisabeth Murdoch Hall’s Statistics meet all of the criteria of the Recital Hall Brief and will provide an ideal instrument for the performance of chamber music and jazz to world and new music to chamber opera, with the capacity to record every concert sound and vision. Ian McDougall (ARM) writes: “We too searched for a meaningful architectural response to classical and acoustic music performance in the 21st century. Surprisingly we began with the shoe-box – the shape that the experts say guarantees/predicts acoustic perfection. Once adopted, the formal issue becomes a non-battle. We escape the desperate attempt to deny the box. Instead, the resolution of the Hall becomes one of the creation of room-ness, a remarkable room of spectacle, surface and sound.” Excerpt from the Recital Hall Brief, December 2005 The classic shoe-box shaped hall is acclaimed for its acoustic qualities, particularly for small ensemble performance venues. The Hall will have a seating capacity for 1,000 people on two levels. The stage will accommodate 1-45 musicians with a 3 metre extension. The stage extension should descend below floor level to reveal an orchestra pit and provide access to storage of chairs and piano. The Hall will feel light and warm like honey; welcoming, with a sense of expectation, occasion and, most importantly, intimacy. Colours should be warm, rather than bright or harsh – and surfaces should be matt or satin rather than shiny. This Hall will be a sanctuary where the listener can personally connect with the music-making, while at the same time feeling enriched by the energy that is generated in sharing an uplifting experience. The Hall will represent a perfect fusion between acoustic and architectural design. It will be a work of art in its own right with its own distinctive voice, yet it will not overshadow the integrity of the music-making by pulling focus from the stage. Its surfaces will communicate a natural resonance so that the listener is immersed in sound. It will be a uniquely Australian Hall through the use of our own materials and will be a source of pride for all Australians. The Recital Hall must be easily driven and responsive to musical nuances. It must support musical crescendo up to fortissimo without distortion or overload. It must also support a breath-taking pianissimo without any sense of weakness. The sense of intimacy and communication between performers and their audience is of the highest priority. The Hall shall be free from extraneous noise, such that internal noise sources (air-conditioning, lifts, etc.) and external noise (trucks and trams but excluding emergency services such as helicopters) do not exceed PNC15. Communication between performers in ensemble and performer and audience must be excellent so that a three-way, profound, musical conversation can develop. Musicians on the stage should sense that the room is easily driven and responsive to nuances and that the latter are faithfully conveyed to a receptive audience.” |
|
|
