The China Philharmonic Orchestra has revealed designs by MAD Architects for a new concert hall in Beijing. The 26,587 square meter concert hall will contain 1,600 seats laid out on a series of “terraces”. Developed with acclaimed acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, who also worked on the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the China Philharmonic Hall will serve as the first permanent residency of the the China Philharmonic Orchestra, considered one of the world’s finest symphony orchestras.

The press release describes the designs with heavily organicist language:

"The 1,600-seat main concert hall is laid out in a vineyard style, with the seating surrounding the stage; rising up in serried rows in the manner of the sloping terraces. Its wooden lakes organically surround the stage while the white sound reflection petals on the ceiling are designed to resemble the segments of a lotus flower. The natural light coming from above will make audience members feel as if they are in the center of a blooming flower. Lighting and visualizations can be projected onto the white petals and choreographed to match the musical performances. MAD has created an abstracted space that allows the audiences to escape from the city and retreat into various sceneries."

The building will be surrounded by a lotus pond and other landscaping, which will be visible from the interior via a translucent façade. “Audiences will experience a transition from an urban setting to one of music and nature, preparing them for a journey of self-discovery,” states Ma Yansong.

(More images and media in the gallery)

For more on MAD Architects, follow these links:

• 'Urban convenience:' when museums move and their effect on the city
• First look at MAD's newly built Clover House
• MAD reveals renderings of highly sustainable Xinhee Design Center