SLAS Architekci wraps Polish concert hall in mirror-like steel facade
A facade of glimmering steel surrounds this concert hall in southern Poland, designed for a state music school by local studio SLAS Architekci.
The cube-shaped building is a contemporary extension to the traditional Józef Świder State Music School in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, a former spa town that became an industrial city after coal mines were built in the region.
Located on a border between old tourist resorts and newer urban development, the multipurpose venue provides a 362-seat auditorium in which music students can practice and perform.
"The new concert hall with natural acoustics is an instrument designed to give students the opportunity to learn to play and develop their talent," said SLAS Architekci co-founder Mariusz Komraus.
Alongside its educational role, the building is used by the city as a concert venue and cultural institution, with its cafe space doubling up as an art gallery to showcase the work of regional artists.
The 17-metre-high concert is surrounded by traditional buildings and fills its small corner site, leaving no room for a buffer between the building and the pavement. According to SLAS Architekci, this led to the design of its mirrored facade.
"The facade material was intended not only to shine and neutralize the volume of the facility with reflections of the surroundings, but above all to withstand the test of time and be resistant to vandalism," added Komraus.
SLAS Architekci used reinforced concrete for the concert hall's structure, with the auditorium's walls formed with wavy formwork. Here, the concrete is left exposed and finished with black glaze paint, eliminating the need for additional acoustic cladding.
The wave is referenced in the corrugated steel facade, creating visual continuity between the building's exterior and interior spaces.
A main entrance on the ground floor leads from the street to the concert hall. This level is also home to cloakrooms and backstage areas including dressing rooms, with stairs leading up to the first-floor foyer, cafe and the main auditorium.
The building has limited glazing to reduce energy use, but strips of tall windows run along its facades to allow passersby to look in from the street outside.
According to the studio, the building connects to the existing music school in such a way that it "maintains the autonomy of both buildings".
A new public square between them adds to the street scene and provides a space for locals to gather.
"The building was built using public funds and its limited budget meant the architect had to think carefully about each design decision," said co-founder Aleksander Bednarski. "The limited budget paradoxically worked to the building's advantage."
"Reduction has become the main tool or even a method of design work in which financial constraints encourage thoughtful spending of public funds and redirecting them to the most important elements of the building," he said.
Other concert venues that have recently been featured on Dezeen include the renovation of Finlandia Hall in Helsinki and a multi-functional art centre in Beijing with swooping roofs.
The photography is by Jakub Certowicz.
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