The Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic in Szczecin
The building of the Philharmonic is located at Małopolska 48 in Szczecin – a temple of music and geometry, a controversial architectural project in which acoustic waves and light acquire a new meaning. It would be difficult to find a better place for the start of the first edition of the MUSIC.DESIGN.FORM festival, during which works being the product of various fields of art, share the form and ice cool design of the Philharmonic.
The building is unique in many respects. On one hand, it has excellent acoustic parameters, on the other – enormous lighting possibilities. The white facade of the Philharmonic can blaze with many colors in different configurations. This possibility will be exploited fully for the first time during the MUSIC.DESIGN.FORM festival.
It is enough to cross the threshold of the building to enter another world of design, not at all associated with standard philharmonic edifices. The bold architectural solutions have an excellent effect on sound quality. The Symphony Hall, known as the Sun Hall, can accommodate nearly 1,000 people, and the special geometry of the walls and ceilings, developed by architects together with Dr. Higini Arau, a specialist in architectural acoustics in Barcelona, provides excellent acoustic experience. All the sound parameters of the Symphony Hall (strength and uniformity of sound distribution, delay time and side reflection coefficient) give an effect comparable to the model of this type of facility – the Musikverein in Vienna. The Chamber Hall, for nearly 200 people, is called a "musical pearl". The reverberation time here was reduced to one hundredth of a second.
In 2015, a year after the opening, the building of the Philharmonic in Szczecin received a prestigious European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – the Mies van der Rohe Award, regarded as an architectural Nobel. So far, no other structure in Poland has been given such an important distinction. The Mies van der Rohe Award, established in 1987 and awarded every two years, is one of the most prestigious architectural awards in Europe.
It is enough to cross the threshold of the building to enter another world of design, not at all associated with standard philharmonic edifices. The bold architectural solutions have an excellent effect on sound quality. The Symphony Hall, known as the Sun Hall, can accommodate nearly 1,000 people, and the special geometry of the walls and ceilings, developed by architects together with Dr. Higini Arau, a specialist in architectural acoustics in Barcelona, provides excellent acoustic experience. All the sound parameters of the Symphony Hall (strength and uniformity of sound distribution, delay time and side reflection coefficient) give an effect comparable to the model of this type of facility – the Musikverein in Vienna. The Chamber Hall, for nearly 200 people, is called a "musical pearl". The reverberation time here was reduced to one hundredth of a second.
In 2015, a year after the opening, the building of the Philharmonic in Szczecin received a prestigious European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – the Mies van der Rohe Award, regarded as an architectural Nobel. So far, no other structure in Poland has been given such an important distinction. The Mies van der Rohe Award, established in 1987 and awarded every two years, is one of the most prestigious architectural awards in Europe.
