Set within a green ring around the historic city centre overlooking the Vistula River, the building lies low and is buried to avoid blocking the views over the river, occupying only half of the site in order for the other half to become a public park. Its Concert Hall features an innovative variable acoustics design that is able to adapt to different capacities and acoustic needs thanks to its dynamic ceiling and the "picado" finishing of its walls. For sound reflection, the "picado" is made of concrete and reclaimed red bricks, and for sound absorption the concrete is mixed with porous volcanic stones. This acoustic adaptability supports flexible spatial distributions: the halls can be joined, separated or opened to the outside. Bricks reflect sound better than wood, which makes them suitable for spaces where the correct diffusion of high, medium and low pitched sounds is needed. Besides paying tribute to Torun's historic brick façades, CKK Jordanki's "picado" opens the possibility for the creative reuse of discarded bricks as an acoustic design tool.
Concept Phase
The plot of the project is set on a green ring around the center of the small and meticulous Polish town of Torun and bordering the new development of the city.
The project site is designed to exist as half of the area of the site. This to give the remaining area to the park. A green arc is created to create views onto the theatre as well as make the park appear larger. The views to the river was essential to keep the building’s height the smallest possible. This was also advantageous to the historic nature of the neighbourhood, as the building blends with the site and exists as a natural object.
The building express a fusion of old and new through the use of materials. The interior uses brick, a material present on nearly all the façades of the historic center. The exterior is created with an almost white concrete, as it is cut and carved away shades of red appear as the lining in its holes. The buildings use of material is a reinterpretation of the traditional use of brick establishing a parallel between the tectonics of the city and the location of the plot.
The interplay of colours, red and white, emphasizes the dichotomy between the modern and historic architectures and the innovations in technologies used in construction. We use to explain the volume of the concert hall through the experience of eating Zurek, a very popular dish in eaten in Poland. Zurek is a traditional soup served in a bun whose crumb has been removed and its outer shell is used as a bowl. The concert hall’s outer skin remains rigid while inside, the building exists as a fluid that brings together the different functions, its many elements different but existing together bur slowly combining and playing off each other. Holes and cuts made in its rigid shell allow the red to seep out to the exterior.
The program is carefully considered and flexible in nature, the building allows the theatre allowing it to change from performance to performance like a sponge. Allowing two rooms to act as the main theatre moving the walls changes the number of seats available. The concert hall may also be opened to the outside, allowing outdoor performances and use of the park for events. The design is open and permeable, it allows people to pass through it towards the square, providing a complete and continuous connection to the public.
One of the most impressive aspects of engineering in this project is its variable acoustic system. The ceiling of the performance hall is flexible and can be dropped dramatically changing the volume of the hall effecting it is acoustic qualities and allowing for the greatest possible flexibility in acoustic design of the space. The largest volume of 8,200 cubic meters allows a reverberation time of 1.85 sections. This reverb time is reduced to 1.4 seconds when the ceiling is modified reducing the volume of the space to only 6,800 cubic meters. With the inclusion of absorption material, the theatre is able to meet all acoustic requirements from symphonic performances, which require a time of 1.85. Lowering the reverberation time optimizes the space for more vocal performances like opera,, which requires a minimum of 1.2 seconds.
Continuity and Flow
Concert Hall As A Door. Implementation Of The Building In The Environment. The building creates an intimate inner world, maintaining the fluid connection with the outside world, it behaves like a door. It allows user to go through it and reach a square, which is the heart of the building site.
Autonomous and Complementary
Economize. Sponge Building. Able To Adapt To Different Situations. The project aims to create an auditorium adaptable to various events and various public capacities that is even able to hold several separate events simultaneously. It is also engineered so that is able to effectively absorb symphonic performances, chamber, theatre, opera, cinema and meet any acoustic requirements the theatre designer requires.
Materiality
For the inner face of the building it was thought of a constructive solution that should fulfil three basic premises: on one hand, it should preserve the stone character which responds to the concept of the project of the cave.
But in the same time, it should preserve as well the acoustic diffuser inside the room, to develop an optimal concert hall in order to avoid possible echoes.
Trough the heaviness of triangulation plan and the materials that were used, there was a need for balance by playing with lights and shadows.
Another very important characteristic that should be highlighted is the fact that the construction of the building is in harmony with the essence of Torun city.
As a result, a new concept of architecture was emerged: Torun´s red brick chopped and embedded in the concrete, creating a red area that represents the interior of the geogada.
