Following four years of construction, Denmark's Aalborg-based school and concert hall, the House of Music, was officially opened last month by the country's monarch, Queen Margrethe II. The striking building was designed by Viennese architectural studio Coop Himmelb(l)au, and features both an efficient design and green technology in a bid to reduce its daily energy needs.
With a total floor space of 20,257 sq m (218,044 sq ft), the House of Music features a U-shaped rehearsal and training room, and a concert hall with a capacity of around 1,300 visitors. Both areas are joined by a large foyer, and there's also three halls, dubbed the intimate hall, the rhythmic hall, and the classic hall.
Thanks to extensive sound insulation, the building is one of the quietest places to hear symphonic music in Europe, and both the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Danish National Radio Orchestra are booked to appear in the coming months.
Coop Himmelb(l)au employed several energy-saving measures in the build. Water-filled pipes were laid beneath the concrete floor for both heating and cooling, and an adjacent fjord is also used as a means of natural cooling. We've reached out to Coop Himmelb(l)au for further details on how this works, and are still waiting to hear back.
The House of Music sports several efficient rotating heat exchangers, and ventilation systems are installed beneath the seats in the concert hall. The building is also equipped with a sophisticated building management program that wields full control over the various green technologies, ensuring that no energy is unduly wasted.
Source: Coop Himmelb(l)au via Arch Daily