PROJECT
W
hen singer/songwriter Jan Edwards expanded her property in Plymouth, MN, to include the Moonacy Music Room per-
formance space, aesthetics, a state-of-the-art sound system, and optimized acoustics were vital. Designed to represent the four elements—earth, water, air, and fire—the Moonacy Music Room is a collaborative venue for songwriter workshops, video conferencing, house concerts, fundraising for
interiors
Music Room Hits High Note Fabric wall panels deliver studio-quality sound without sacrificing design.
music-related nonprofits, and private events. To achieve optimum acoustics, the design and engineering team incorporated Fabritec wall panels and willtec strips from pinta acoustic inc., Minneapolis, into the art and décor. The concept for the room began to take shape when Edwards purchased an 18 x 9-ft. colorful Native American painting created by Rabbett Before Horses Strickland, an Ojibwa artist from northern Wisconsin. Called The Right to
Consciousness, this artwork was central to the space. The creative process evolved during a brainstorming session between Edwards, architect Alex Haecker of AWH Architects, Minneapolis, and interior designers Shelly Reihl David and Carl David of CIH Design, Los Angeles. Edwards introduced a magazine tear sheet with a quilted wall. This was the impetus behind what has been named the magic wall. The music room was designed with angled walls, exposed metal trusses, a shiplap ceiling that increases in elevation from 11 to 17 ft., and an epoxy-coated concrete floor. The wall behind the stage contains a 98-in. digital display flanked by large twin guitar cabinets made with glass and reclaimed wood from a tobacco barn in Virginia. Reclaimed wood was also used to build the stage, wide baseboards, and wainscoting. To allow natural light in, the space includes a wall of windows opposite the stage. The wood of the stage, cabinets, and the wood instruments symbolize the element earth. The shape of the space, along with many hard, reflective surfaces, posed acoustical challenges. To address them, Nelson brought in audio engineer and classically trained cellist Charles G. (Skip) Kahane from PGS/Broadcast Media Services, Missoula, MT. Kahane recommended pinta acoustic’s Fabritec wall tiles, willtec panels, and willduct HVAC ductwork thermal and sound insulation for the room. “The increasing rise of the ceiling, and ending in a glass wall, gave the space a megaphone-like characteristic,” explained Kahane. “In music venues, we typically treat the stage first and the wall opposing the stage second. We were unable to do that because of the guitar cabinets and large display on the stage and the facing glass wall.” Above. Fabritec panels form the ‘magic wall’ on the right, addressing the shape of the music room space, along with many hard, reflective surfaces, and providing acoustical equilibrium. Right. The glass wall facing the stage gave the room a megaphone-like characteristic. Panels from pinta acoustic solved the problem.
cbpmagazine.com
SEPTEMBER 2015
COMMERCI A L BUIL DING P RODUC T S
17
