Jems Architecki's Polish conference center is built on an old coal mine

2016-07-29T14:52:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Figueras International Seating.

Katowice, a city of 300,000 inhabitants in the South of Poland, wants to leave its past of mining industry behind. In the heart of the city, and on what was formerly a mine and its inevitable mountains of mining residue, today we find there the new City Conference Centre: MCK ‐ International Conference Centre (ICC), designed by the most internationally known group in Poland, Jems Architecki.

The building, a unique block of 388,500m3, was erected (or submerged, depending how you look at it) in the new cultural area of the city, right next to the Spodek (saucer in English), the emblematic building of 1962, symbol of the city and which needed to be complemented in both aesthetics and in what it had to offer. Together they form Poland's largest Conference Centre.

After three years of construction, the ICC shows colossal dimensions. The structure is divided in two and at the intersection, the architects have created hills that ...

Unique seating for the Philharmonie de Paris: How to create a seat with low acoustic absorption for a perfect symphony hall

2016-07-20T09:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Figueras International Seating.

The building of the Philharmonie de Paris, designed by Jean Nouvel, is a unique architectural work in the Parc de La Villette in the French capital. The seating installed inside was specifically created for the hall by Jean Nouvel in partnership with Figueras. Up to 10 acoustic tests, in laboratories in Paris and Barcelona, were needed to achieve the desired product.

Jean Nouvel gave the Philharmonie concert hall a unique shape, as it is an adjustable space that surrounds the spectator. The Grande Salle of the Philharmonie is not designed in a “vineyard” or “shoebox” shape like traditionally. The Grande Salle starts a new model, enveloping and moveable. Jean Nouvel chose a unique solution to offer a total and enveloping experience, placing the spectators in hanging balconies at different heights. In this way, they are immersed in the hall with the feeling of heading toward the orchestra. The sound literally wraps each of ...

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Jems Architecki's Polish conference center is built on an old coal mine

Unique seating for the Philharmonie de Paris: How to create a seat with low acoustic absorption for a perfect symphony hall