We are pleased to announce that Marshall Day Acoustics is a core member of the team, led by Zaha Hadid Architects, that has won first prize in a major design competition for a new performance venue for the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
The winning entry was selected from 47 proposals submitted to the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure Development of the Sverdlovsk Region.
The design creates a performance hub with a new 1,600-seat concert hall and 400-seat chamber music hall, while also incorporating an existing 700 seat venue.
The Concert Hall
The new concert hall forms the heart of the building with a flowing vineyard style seating layout. There is seating for a choir of 100 and a large organ to support orchestral performances. Balcony overhangs have been minimised to allow access from all seats to the rich blended sound created in the ample room volume. Marshall Day worked with Zaha Hadid Architects to shape all the internal surfaces of the hall to guide the sound. The early lateral reflections generate the clarity and envelopment that will provide this Hall with world class acoustic support for performers and audiences.
“For musicians, this new hall is crucial. It will be a musical instrument that brings the sound to life.” – Dmitry Liss, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor od the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra, and member of the design competition jury.
The Chamber Music Hall
The chamber music hall creates an intimate space and features a large transparent glass facade behind the stage to link the room to the Weiner Gardens beyond.
The performance venues are connected through a generous foyer and shared access to preparation and dressing rooms. A striking feature of the design is the flowing roof architecture, which unifies the building.
"Echoing the physical aspects of sound waves, the design of the new philharmonic concert hall is based on the properties of musical sound resonance creating wave vibrations in a continuous smooth surface," - Zaha Hadid Architects.
