Light & airy: Concert hall by MAD Architects

MAD Architects of Beijing has revealed its design for the China Philharmonic Concert Hall, which offers 26,587 square metres of floor space on an 11,600-square-metre plot.
The venue, which will be erected in Beijing's central business district, has been designed in collaboration with the acoustics specialist Yasuhisa Toyota to ensure a perfect listening experience for China's capital. The acoustician, who has previously worked on the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Philharmonie de Paris and Suntory Hall in Japan, is regarded as a master of his craft. The building will be surrounded by a park and a lotus pond, creating a haven of peace in the urban surroundings. As Ma Yansong, founder and head of MAD Architects, states: "We wanted to create a pure and sacred oasis in the midst of the bustling city. From the moment you enter the building, you will be taken to another time and space." As in other recent projects by MAD Architects, the function spaces– a concert hall able to seat an audience of 1,600, a smaller rehearsal hall with 400 seats, a recording studio, library, gallery, offices, etc. – are grouped together at the centre, meaning there is plenty of space around them to underscore the building's light and airy feel.  The large concert hall features a terraced wooden auditorium and large white ceiling panels, which, as the architects state, take their inspiration from the petals of a lotus flower. The China Philharmonic Hall is scheduled for completion in 2019.