Auditorium: The Latest Architecture and News

Adjaye Associates, in collaboration with Holst Architecture, the prime architect of record, have unveiled the first renderings for the new East County Library in Portland, Oregon, a new facility that will provide a diverse range of services and programming. The design of the 95,000-square-foot building is informed through extensive community engagement and feedback. Several local organizations aid these efforts by organizing public community events, focus groups, teen outreach, and surveys. As the project is currently in the schematic design phase, the images presented are early drafts, likely to change to reflect the input received.

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The municipality of Milan has announced the results of the competition to design the new European Library of Information and Culture (BEIC) in Milan, Italy. The winning team is composed of Onsite Studio, baukuh, Yellow Office, SCE Project, Studio Mistretta, Starching, Stain Engineering, Dotdotdot, (ab)Normal, Atmos Lab. The new building, situated in the Porta Vittoria area of Milan, aims to go beyond the traditional functions of a library to become a laboratory for the tools necessary to create contemporary culture.

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When designing an architectural space, it's necessary to think about how to satisfy the needs of each user, looking to achieve an adequate level of comfort and a pleasant experience. Auditoriums, cinemas, and theatres are spaces that involve large masses of people, so special attention must be paid to factors like isoptics, acoustics or accessibility so that when witnessing an event, everyone is able to receive the same information.

Audience sightlines, accessibility and acoustics all make theater seating a hugely precise art. As part of their set of online resources for architects and designers, the team at Theatre Solutions Inc (TSI) have put together a catalog of 21 examples of theater seating layouts. Each layout is well detailed, with information on the number of seats, the floor seating area and row spacing. These layouts fall under three general forms; to supplement this information, alongside TSI's diagrams we've included the pros and cons of each type, as well as examples of projects which use each format. Read on for more.

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Snøhetta has been commissioned for the design of the Shanghai Grand Opera House in Shanghai, China, following an international design competition. Aiming to attract a broad audience for traditional, classical, and experimental performances, Snøhetta has developed the architectural, landscape, interior, and graphic design for the sweeping complex in collaboration with Shanghai-based architects ECADI.

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Zaha Hadid Architects has won an international competition for the design of the new Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Concert Hall in Yekaterinburg, Russia. A melting pot of Eastern and Western cultures, talents, and industries, the strategic Ural city hosts a Philharmonic Orchestra which has performed in more than 20 countries, while based in the existing 1936 Sverdlovsk Philharmonic building.

For the design of the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra’s new home, Zaha Hadid Architects “echoed the physical aspects of sound waves” to create an inspirational venue meeting the orchestra’s growing program, and to create a new public plaza for all citizens.

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The groundbreaking ceremony has occurred for MAD Architects’ China Entrepreneur Forum Conference Centre, settled in the mountains of Yabuli in Northeastern China. A snow-capped mountainous landscape known for its rugged terrain and freezing temperatures, Yabuli is home to the annual summit of the China Entrepreneur Forum (CEF) considered to be the “Davos of Asia.”

MAD’s scheme, also referred to as the “Yabuli Conference Centre” seeks to embody and showcase the “ambitions, ideologies, and forward critical thinking of CEF members” through a tent-like structure defined by soft, sloping lines.

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Theatre Projects consultants, together with the architectural office Studio KO, have designed a multipurpose auditorium of 115 seats, with the aim of hosting conferences, screenings, concerts, theater, and cinema.

The auditorium is part of the new Museum Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech, and incorporates a series of elements and technologies that allow for high-quality sound and lighting, as well as ensuring total flexibility of the room to adapt to all required uses.

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The JUT Foundation in Taipei has recently had its 240-square-meter lecture hall by MVRDV transformed into a mossy art installation with a textile artwork that spans not just edge to edge, but up the walls, by Argentinian artist, Alexandra Kehayoglou. The lecture hall hosts a number of talks and events and requires versatility. The custom moss-inspired carpet adds a level of comfort and interest to what otherwise could have been a monotonous space.

The winning entries to the Kip Island Auditorium competition have been announced by Bee Breeders, which invited proposals for the addition of a new iconic auditorium addition to the Riga International Convention Centre, in Latvia’s capital. The competition asked for alternative approaches to the design of public and civic facilities, while “reinvesting an estranged program in the urban landscape."

Here are the three winners of the Kip Island Auditorium competition:

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Seeing the space of an auditorium in section is a key tool in allowing us to approach a design's of acoustics, accessibility, and lighting. These components are what make the design of an auditorium a complex task, requiring detailed and specific studies.

There are a number of ways to design an auditorium that offers multiple responses to these challenges. For this reason, we have selected a number of sections from different auditoriums that can help you understand how other architects have solved the challenge.

Check out the 30 auditorium sections below, they are sure to inspire you!

German architecture firm, GRAFT, has been selected as the winner of the "Apassionata" competition. Tasked with designing a temporary structure for the exhibition of horses, GRAFT proposed a complete wooden building that could be assembled, dismounted and reassembled at the convenience of the company.

Learn more after the break...