! ARCHITECTUR AL GEMS
20
Oh what a view The winding staircases of the concert hall lead to a roof platform that offers a breathtaking panoramic view over the valley and the Great Wall.
CHAPEL OF SOUND In the valley near Chengde, a historic city northeast of Beijing, you will not only find the ruins of the Great Wall of China, but also the Chapel of Sound. This mysterious, boulder-shaped concert hall is the work of Li Hu and Huang Wenjing, the founders of the Chinese studio Open Architecture. To minimize the building's ecological footprint, they created an open structure without heating or air conditioning that is in dialogue with the landscape. Its monolithic aspect creates a futuristic look and feel. Designing an excellent acoustic environment without using extra sound-absorbing materials was a real challenge. But by working with acoustic engineers, Li Hu and Huang Wenjing created openings that function both as sound-absorbing spaces, and as a connection to the outside environment.
ICONIC