Björn Füchtenkord
La Certosa – Accademia Musicale di Venezia. RWTH Aachen (Germany)
The concept for a private music academy, including a chamber concert hall, in the lagoon of Venice interprets the island of Certosa`s wall-enclosed, southwestern part (formerly of both monastic and military use)as a hortus conclusus, an introvert garden of music.
The historic figure is strengthened by re-establishing the channel formerly separating the island.
The new buildings remain unseen; the vegetation along the outer walls is retained and a campanile serves as a landmark. Thus, a common architectural typology of the lagoon signals the island`s new function.
Nonetheless, Certosa will gain public interest, access to the garden will go along with visiting a concert. An evening on the island will unite enjoying a concert, visiting the musicians and the park to a single exclusive event.
Functionally, individual and common activities are separated. The karthausian image of independent living quarters and a concentrated common area is cited.
The music academy and the chamber music hall, the odeon, form a flexible unit where music stipendiates gather for studying and rehearsals and where concert evenings are held.
While the entrance level forms a representative open space, stretching through and out of the building, the upper level with its galeries encloses a courtyard .
The courtyard functions both as musicians‘ atrium and as a foyer during music events. The odeon`s classic half-circle serves as large rehearsal room and as chamber concert hall. The flexible wall elements change its appearance. When opened, they allow natural light into a rehearsal hall that becomes part of the atrium. In a closed state, the concert`s audience will focuse entirely on the podium, on the music.
The private units of the stipendiates allow retreat and personally defined living conditions. They revitalize the linear sequence of detonation chambers along the island`s walls where the existing military topography naturally forms individual space.
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