National Concert Hall, Vilnius

DESCRIPTION

Designed in collaboration with Arup, this competition entry responds to the ambitious brief for a 21-century symbol of independent Lithuania.
The idea – a compact white rectangular colonnade sheltering the inner sacred volume reminiscent of a glowing piece of amber over a reflection pool – was inspired by a metaphor of a hilltop temple. As the visitor moves up the hill towards the “temple”, the building unveils itself from different angles. Another reading of the light-filled array of tall slim columns might be a pine forest typical for the Baltic countries.
The proposed monumental yet transparent volume, set tangentially to the main view lines, holds together the broken urban grid and creates a 24/7, an all-year-round, all-weather, multi-functional and diverse destination with cultural facilities, exhibitions, co-working spaces, cafes, shops and outdoor activities.
The building is L-shaped with the two auditoriums sitting alongside each other. In front of them, the multi-level fully glazed foyer offers a variety of public functions. It features transparent panoramic lifts, public stairs in the centre leading all the way to the rooftop and a large spiral stair at the end of the Main Hall. The foyer absorbs views of the downtown across the river to the North, the rooftop restaurants provide panoramic views of the Old town to the East. The boundary between indoor and
outdoor spaces, defined by a frameless curtain wall, is almost non-existent. Behind the halls is the back-of-stage block. Some of the National Philharmonic Orchestra’s rehearsal spaces in the basement can be overlooked from the park.
The Main Hall provides state-of-the-art natural acoustic performance. The Small Hall, featuring an electronic acoustic system, allows multiple transformations for a broad range of cultural events.
The building aims to achieve class A+ of energy efficiency and set a regional benchmark for sustainable design and resilience against climate change.

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