Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
FAAB has designed a music school utilizing the site of the former military base in Cracow. One of the features of the school is the Air Purifier, which supports vista terrace, the crowning element of the concert hall, part of the complex. The Air Purifier, based on the technology explored by the Green City Solutions from Germany, is meant to reduce the level of NOx, PM and CO2. The Air Purifier efficiency, which surface would be close to 1.300 m2, is comparable to about 33.000 pcs. of city type trees. The impact of the AP is especially important in the city, constantly fighting problems with air pollution, which during winter season, might exceed purity of air standards, up to five times.
The complex of the Music Academy consists of three buildings. The largest, which houses the educational part of the program, includes musical practice rooms, theatrical performance rooms, administration and common services. The closest to the river is the concert hall, while the small guest room building is flanking the entrance plaza at the northern end of the site.
The proposed design sets vital connections between the city, the Cracow Music Academy building and the nearby Vistula river. It also integrates the site with the anticipated park that is meant to be part of a larger urban scheme known as the “Cracow Music City”. The designs gives opportunity to establish a variety of spatial relationships with the future buildings of the Cracow philharmonic orchestra, Sinfonietta Cracovia and Capella Cracoviensis buildings.
The buildings meander between the existing trees creating both inner and outer space, free from traffic noise generated by the railway line extending along the eastern boundary.
The foot promenade leads through the park to the main entrance of the concert hall and due this immersed interaction with nature, allows the senses to be calmed before participating in any music event.
Passages on two levels welcome pedestrians to walk through the site towards the river. The ground level passage stays connected with the park while the passage on the 1st level, referred to as the Academy terraces, allows eye contact with the river over the existing flood banks. The variety in massing of the buildings provides with different spatial experiences along the way.Circulation inside the building brings valuable and varied common space, connected with the park, and perfect for student’s activities. All of the music practice rooms, administration spaces and common spaces have access to natural light. Creating a muted environment inside the school was one of the most important challenges of the site. In order to achieve this, the music practice rooms were placed facing the park and isolated from the railway tracks by an acoustic external wall and further by placing all internal circulation along the eastern border.
The elevation is finished with wooden lap paneling, larger in size but similar regarding the appearance to the traditional wood shingle of the Cracow vernacular. Parts of the elevations are also clad with brass, polished sheets. Additionally to the Air Purifier, most of the ventilation of the complex will be supported by the Ground Heat Exchangers (GHE), which would not only clean the air delivered inside the buildings, but also reduce the electrical power consumption needed to cool or heat the ventilation air depending on the season. The building will reuse the rain water and the heat from used hot water.