Fritz Keuthen
Centre for Space Music. RWTH Aachen (Germany)
CENTRE FOR SPACE MUSIC
Challenge
„Bayreuth also used to be just another village“
That quotation of Karlheinz Stockhausen in refers to his home of choice, Kürten in the „Bergisches Land“ region in Germany. His vision of Kürten as a centre for Spacemusic took shape among others in the initiation of the „Stockhausen Summer Courses“ which since 1998 bring together people from all over the world to work on the interpretation of Stockhausens works and the composing of space music in general.
Concept
The Stockhausen Centre for Spacemusic is immediately implanted into the exciting topology of the landscape as an autonomous object. The buildings shape: Starting from the functional organisation of the program the building is a composition that essentially consists of the elements of a platform, a cube and a bar. The cube contains the concert hall, the platform is for the public foyer, entrance and facilities and the bar holds the participants’ accommodation.
Building
The audience approaches the Centre after a short hike. The foyer is formed by two crossing axis’ and extends over the complete dimensions of the square-shaped plan. The sparingness of the foyer’s design is to prepare the audience for the sensuous experience to come up later on in the concert hall. Another stair starting from the foyer accesses the platform level.
Auditorium
New music and especially new electronic music is an acoustical and ideally spatial experience. The experience of a composition of sounds whose quality is defined by the immersion and dept of the space created by the movement of „Klangkörpern“ (Stockhausen) within and all around the audience. The acoustical dissolution of physical barriers thus plays an important role. The built environment takes a backseat in favour of imaginary soundscapes.
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