Ryan Peeters AUD 291: Program of Theory and Practice D. Cuff

fig. 1 Casa da Musica, Rem Koolhaas of OMA

CASA DA MUSICA

Rem Koolhaas’s Casa da Musica is a great example of the influence of architectural programming on

form. It seeks to incorporate an innovative design strategy of transforming the acoustic

environment of a concert hall with the traditional and successful paradigm of the shoebox shaped

concert hall. OMA operate through a hierarchy of primary and secondary spaces associated with the

program, linking each through circulation spaces sculpted by the initial orientations. The process is

an excavation and piling up of program to reach an architectural form that speaks true of its

inherent program. This paper discusses the design of Casa da Musica from a number of

programming issues as precedent, concept, context, hierarchy, and material application, and finally

concludes with the effects of programming on architectural form.

Challenge

This century has seen an architecturally frantic attempt to escape from the dominance of the

notorious ‘shoe-box’ shaped concert hall. After researching the acoustic quality of existing concert

halls it became clear that the best halls in the world have shoe box shapes. This left OMA with the

challenge of creating something new from the existing shoebox paradigm. Was it possible for a

concert hall to take on a different typology from the shoebox, yet still maintain and perhaps

accentuate the same acoustical performance as the traditional paradigm?

Background

Casa da Musica began its life as a house for a Dutchman. In another design project, OMA had been

given the task of designing a family home with an unusual program. The requirements focused on a

central space that operated separately to the adjoining spaces, but still maintained loose ties with

these ‘secondary spaces’; this was much like the program of a concert hall where users gather in the

central spaces with most of the other spaces as secondary uses. As OMA stated, “We would have to

design a house that would hide all clutter, guarantee autonomy to each family member yet enable

their voluntary assembly.”

OMA’s solution to the problem was to imagine the entire volume of the house as a single container

that could absorb any amount of organizational chaos. Individual spaces – for him, for her, for their

children – would be excavated from the storage. The theatre of their community would be a tunnel –

completely free of furniture, drilled through the form from end to end. The individual spaces would

be attached to the community ‘tunnel’ space in a literal fashion – illustrating the definite hierarchy

of spaces.

fig. 2 – fig 5 Study models for OMA’s Dutch house. Model shows central tunnel space was a clear

precedent to the main concert hall of Casa da Musica.

OMA’s approach to design for the Dutch house saw similar lines of thought cross over to the design

for Casa da Musica. Coincidentally, as Rem Koolhaas and his associates grappled with the changing

potential of the shoebox shaped hall, the design for the Dutch house suddenly became a worthy

approach. To their own surprise, “a blinding flash suggested that the house enlarged offered a way

out: the family’s tunnel could become the detested shoebox.” It was enlightening how a typology

designed for a very specific program could be transferred to the concert hall. What OMA realised

after this realisation is that the inherent relationships between the family and the family of concert

hall spaces is almost identical. Each revolves around a focal leader, or concert hall space.

Context

Fig. 6 Historic site of Rotunda da Boavista. Photo shows Casa da Musica’s gesture to respect the historical circular wall.

Casa da Musica is situated along the Rotunda da Boavista, a roundabout enclosing a historic park. As

this part of Porto was still a city 'intact', OMA chose not to articulate the new concert hall as a

segment of a small scale circular wall around the Rotunda da Boavista but to create a solitary

building standing on the new, more intimate square connected to the historical park of the Rotunda

da Boavista and neighbouring a working class area - “positive encounter of two different models of

the city”. The building would become a socio-economic symbol and landmark between the

contemporary city and that of the modern day working class city. This single gesture responded to

these issues of symbolism, visibility and access.

Fig. 7 Casa da Musica is a transition between old city and new city. It is surrounded by a diverse context.

Concept

“Most cultural institutions serve only part of a population. A majority knows their exterior shape, only a minority knows what happens inside.”

Casa da Musica is like a big rock holding together all different functions. Spaces appear carved from

the building from the inside-out and the window’s provide spectacular views over Porto and the

Atlantic Ocean. These specific functions are brought in like drawers into a cabinet. The shape is

directly derived from ‘programmatic-piling-up’.

Fig. 8 – Fig.10 Study models illustrating concept of shoebox concert hall treated like a drawer into a cabinet

that holds together all the functions.

Two shoebox concert halls were oriented first. Then other public programs were attached onto the

shoeboxes. The ‘remaining’ spaces between these public functions were filled up with secondary

serving spaces, such as foyers, restaurant, terraces, technical spaces and vertical transport. A

continuous route connects all functions and ‘remaining spaces’ by stairs, platforms and escalators.

This gives the building elements of surprise and unexpectancies, creating an “architectural

adventure.” This hierarchy of design speaks true of the importance of program. The design of

OMA’s concert hall focused around the major programming space, with the programs of less focused

space ‘radiating’ off the central core in a hierarchy of organization.

Furthermore, the multifaceted form of Casa da Musica would reflect upon the diverse context of its

urban fabric. In this sense, it would become an icon for city branding. As Jos Bosman advocates in

Form Follows Function, “rather than placing objects ‘loosely’ in space, ‘branding’ attempts to give

the urban architectural space a new ‘image’ in a kind of ‘landscape’ of a strikingly artificial nature”.

Similarly, Casa da Musica presents a new image in a diverse context where old city meets new at a

historic rendezvous.

Program

Working off this architectural concept, OMA considered the building as a solid mass from which two

shoebox shaped concert halls and all other public program spaces were taken away from the

building, leaving behind a hollowed out block. This approach addressed the relationship between

the Concert Hall and both its interior and exterior public faces. This idea was executed through the

use of the huge rippled glass walls on either end of the concert hall. This innovative use of glass not

only as a structural element, but also as an acoustical supplement in insulating the hall from exterior

noise– creates a beautiful aesthetic and fills the grand space with daylight. Furthermore, the

application of glass on either end of the concert hall allows the building to reveal its contents to the

city without being didactic. The space opens up to the city and sky, offering Porto itself as a

dramatic backdrop for performances. Clearly, the programmatic requirements of the concert hall

forced OMA to be innovative in their material application to the hall. This idea then created the

aesthetic beauty of the space, rather than vice versa.

Fig. 11 – Fig. 13 Section showing direct views to the Rotunda da Boavista park. Grand rippled glass wall

allows diffuse daylight into a grand space. City of Porto becomes the backdrop to performances. Fig. 9 shows

secondary, connecting spaces looking onto concert hall.

To accentuate the varying program in each collective space, innovative use of materials and colour

throughout the building was another imperative: the walls are clad in plywood with enlarged wood

patterns embossed in gold, giving a dramatic jolt in perspective and scale; the VIP area has hand-

painted tiles picturing a traditional pastoral scene of traditional bourgeois lifestyle; the roof terrace

is patterned with geometric black and white tiles; the acoustical rooms are clad in protruding green

geometric pyramids; and the floors in public areas are sometimes paved in aluminium. This is a clear

example of architectural program executed in a visual sense. People immediately understand each

space and are able to visually and aesthetically separate each space in relation to the differing

programs. The architectural form and space becomes a literal reflection of the Portuguese context,

and concert hall program.

fig. 14 – fig. 19 Each room utilises drastically different material application as a result of the programmatic

requirements. Acoustical rooms need absorptive material, like the green cladding in fig. 11. Other uses like

the murals shown in fig. 10 represent traditional Portuguese style living of the Bourgeois era.

By dividing the programme into collective spaces, the 'remaining spaces' between the exposed

public functions consist of secondary serving spaces - foyers, a restaurant, bars, terraces, ten

rehearsal rooms, recording studios, an educational area, a VIP room, administration areas, technical

spaces and vertical transport. A spiral of smaller performance rooms wraps around both sides of the

main auditorium, and overlooks it through giant internal windows.

fig. 20 – fig. 21 Casa da Musica is composed of collective spaces that are attached onto the main shoebox concert halls. The spaces ‘in between’ are interesting spaces like the one shown in fig. 16. Fig. 17 shows a diagram of those collective spaces radiating off the main spaces.

“In places it is intimate and comfortable, in others grand and formal. Your route is not obvious and

getting lost is part of the experience and fun.”

The building is both clear and mysterious. The programmatic orientation of spaces is a simple

organization around a strong architectural concept. Program is treated in a hierarchy, where

primary spaces (concert halls) are treated as roots that the secondary spaces (public collective

spaces as previously listed) attach themselves to. The transition spaces then link the combination of

these programs in the resulting spaces in between. This dynamic of interaction between spaces

produces new spatial relationships and a unique user experience that contribute to our knowledge

of architecture.

Bibliography

Books

Office for Metropolitan Architecture. El Croquis. Folcra, 2007.

Rem Koolhaas and David Mau and Hans Werlemann, SMLXL: Small, Medium, Large, Extra-Large.

New York: Monacelli Press, 1995

Rem Koolhaas, OMA 30: 30 Colours. V+K Pub, 1999

Rem Koolhaas, Content. Taschen, 2004

Journals

“OMA: Casa da Musica, Porto, Portugal, 1999-2004.” Lotus international n.123 (2004): p.[90]-[95]

“OMA@work” A+U : Architecture and Urbanism May, n.5, special issue (2000): p. 277

“Rem Koolhaas: Vrijeme igre = Playtime [Casa da Musica, Porto]”. Oris v.7, n.35, (2005): p.92-111

“Form Follows Function: From Mega City to Mega-City”. Dardalos n. 74 (2000): p 30-37

“The Singularity of OMA”. A+U , v. 3, n. 343 (1999): p. 3

“Program vs. Paradigm”. As I was Saying: Recollections and Miscellaneous Essays, Colin Rowe: p. 17

Images

fig. 1 http://www.flickr.com/groups/pritzkerprize/discuss/72157623312046538/ (accessed November

29,2010)

fig. 2 – fig. 5 Office for Metropolitan Architecture. El Croquis. (Folcra, 2007), p. 208.

fig. 6 Office for Metropolitan Architecture. El Croquis. (Folcra, 2007), p. 206.

fig. 7 Office for Metropolitan Architecture. El Croquis. (Folcra, 2007), p. 207.

fig. 8 - fig 10 http://www.architonic.com/aisht/casa-da-msica-omaamo/5100129 (accessed November 29,

2010)

fig. 11 Office for Metropolitan Architecture. El Croquis. (Folcra, 2007), p. 211.

fig 12 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Casa-da-musica%28interior%29.1024.jpg

(accessed November 29, 2010)

fig 13 http://www.case-architects.com/news.php?itemid=86 (accessed November 29,2010)

fig. 14 http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wA3vdNjcZ8s/Stmx1wXiVfI/AAAAAAAAAEA/EJdYLk2d2Fc/s1600-

h/IMG_0508.JPG (accessed November 29,2010)

fig. 15 http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_wA3vdNjcZ8s/Stmx-Res9KI/AAAAAAAAAEI/uKXtvlRtX-U/s1600-

h/IMG_0513.JPG (accessed November 29, 2010)

fig. 16 http://www.flickr.com/photos/marco_reggiani/3884703789/ (accessed November 29,2010)

fig. 17 http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124379481@N01/2726046155 (accessed November 29, 2010)

fig. 18 http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wA3vdNjcZ8s/StmxIf-5uNI/AAAAAAAAADw/rzaEfUMXfgE/s1600-

h/IMG_0504.JPG (accessed November 29,2010)

fig. 19 http://www.flickr.com/photos/24229276@N08/2347157718 (accessed November 29,2010)

fig. 20 Office for Metropolitan Architecture. El Croquis. (Folcra, 2007), p. 237.

fig. 21 Office for Metropolitan Architecture. El Croquis. (Folcra, 2007), p. 210.

RYAN PEETERSAUD 291: PROGRAM OF THEORY AND PRACTICE

D. CUFF

INNOVATING THE CONCERT HALL SHOEBOX PARADIGM INTO A HISTORIC CONTEXT THROUGH THE PROGRAM-MING CONCEPT FROM A HOUSE

SPACE HIERARCHY DIAGRAM

CITY CONTEXTUAL DIAGRAM

MULTISPATIAL INFLUENCE DIAGRAM

OMA’S CONTEXT-SHOEBOX DIAGRAM

DUTCH HOUSE PRECEDENT DIAGRAM

DRAWER AND CABINETSTUDY MODELS

T

SECTION: NORTH-SOUTHPLAN: LEVEL 3 PLAN: LEVEL 4

PRIMARY SPACE

SECONDARY SPACE

CIRCULATION

LOAD-BEARING

SHELL

CIRCULATION PATHWAY

CASA DA MUSICA

RESIDENTIAL / COMMERCIAL

WORKING CLASS NEIGHBOURHOOD

OLD CITY

CEMETERY

TRAFFIC

HOT SPOTS OF ACTIVTY