#porto #concerthall #walkingtour
00:00:00 Intro - Getting to the Casa da Música
00:00:45 Cybermusic Room
00:01:16 Pyramidal acoustic sponge
00:01:25 Renaissance Room
00:01:49 Suggia Hall
00:03:12 VIP Room
"Imagined to mark the festive year of 2001, when the city of Porto was European Capital of Culture, Casa da Música was the first building constructed in Portugal exclusively dedicated to music, both with regard to its presentation and public enjoyment, and the field of artistic training and creation.
The Casa da Música project was confirmed in 1999 as the result of an international architectural competition that chose the solution presented by Rem Koolhaas – Office for Metropolitan Architecture.
Construction began in 1999, on the site of the former Remise do Porto at the Rotunda da Boavista, and Casa da Música was inaugurated in the spring of 2005, on 15 April." - https://casadamusica.com/en/building/
"Sala Suggia
Considered the heart of Casa da Música, the Suggia Hall – named in honour of the Porto cellist Guilhermina Suggia, a world-renowned exponent of the instrument in the first half of the 20th century – serves as the anchor for the entire building, thereby enabling its main pathways to unfold around it. With seven windows connecting it to both the exterior and other spaces, providing different angles of vision, it is one of the few concert halls where music can be played exclusively with natural light.
The decorative arts and key periods of Western Music History receive a special deferential treatment in the Suggia Hall, evident in examples such as the gilded woodwork or the pipe organs. These evocations coexist and interact with a set of unmistakably contemporary elements, including the canopy, the control room, and the maintenance bridge.
The acoustics of the main auditorium are undeniably excellent. All the finishing materials were chosen with this concern in mind: Nordic pine plywood for walls and the ceiling; curved glass for sound wave compensation and divergence, and the fabric for the seats.
Unlike auditoriums exclusively dedicated to classical and symphonic music, Casa da Música also presents other genres, hence the Suggia Hall having galleries for technical lighting equipment above the ceiling and a maintenance bridge crossing it, which can also slide over it. The equitable distribution of sound ensures that all the seats in the hall are excellent.
The arrangement of the chairs, without aisles or a central distribution corridor, provides harmonious access to all seated areas. With this purpose in mind, a sliding mechanism was developed in the seats, allowing a person to traverse an entire row of chairs without anyone having to stand up." - https://casadamusica.com/en/space/sala-suggia-3/
"CYBERMUSIC
Originally designed for the Educational Service, the Cybermusic Room has since been adapted to new and varied functions. Its cladding materials, rubber and polyurethane foam on one side and exposed concrete on the other, create a special acoustic effect.
The internal window, overlooking the stage of Sala Suggia, is opened when the performance allows, giving visitors the opportunity to observe the stage, even during daytime concerts and rehearsals. " - https://casadamusica.com/en/space/cybermusic/
"VIP Room
As the name suggests, the VIP Room was created to be a kind of calling card for Casa da Música, a distinct and particularly formal space within the institution.
At its core was the goal of establishing a bridge between Portuguese and Dutch cultures, not only because Porto and Rotterdam shared the status of European Capital of Culture in 2001 – of seminal importance for Casa da Música – but also because Koolhaas, a Dutchman, was the author of the project for the city’s most emblematic contemporary building. This purpose was fulfilled with the application of tile panels inspired by both cultures, evoking a connection between Portuguese and Dutch ceramists, painters, and potters dating back to the early 16th century and continuing into the mid-17th century. The view from this room offers a comprehensive perspective of Porto, from the pinnacle of the Clérigos Tower to the Atlantic Ocean." - https://casadamusica.com/en/space/vip-room/
