chamber music hall | zaha hadid
the chamber music hall, designed by zaha hadid for the manchester international festival 2009 and specially designed to house solo performances of the exquisite music of johann sebastian bach. the design process involved architectural considerations of scale, structure and acoustics to realize a dynamic formal dialogue inseparable from its intended purpose as an intimate chamber music hall. the ribbon itself consists of a translucent fabric membrane articulated by an internal steel structure suspended from the ceiling. the surface of the fabric shell undulates in a constant but changing rhythm as it is stretched over the internal structure. it varies between the highly tensioned skin on the exterior of the ribbon and the soft billowing effect of the same fabric on the interior of the ribbon. clear acrylic acoustic panels are suspended above the stage to reflect and disperse the sound, while remaining visually imperceptible within the fabric membrane
