“Messa di voce” (italian for “placing of the voice”) is a technique of bel canto that consist in execution of a crescendo and a decrescendo over a sustained note. Our “messa di voce” pushes from the ground, not looking to steal the use of the public space , but to add uses to it. The contrast between the urban feeling of the asphalt and the magical glowing of the glass is not for confrontation. It is an offer of the wonders of music to the city. Like the voice in a “messa di voce” is this opera looking for its rightful place in the modern world.
MESSA DI VOCE SITE
SOCIAL SPACE
SPLIT IN TWO
BREAK UP THE GROUND
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
NOISE REDUCTION
RUBBERIZED ASPHALT
ENTER THE MAGIC
Asphalt is dominating the urban environment, concealing a enchanted place beneath.
We make room for various activities on the site for all the seasons.
To face all directions the site splits in two parts, a north side and a south side.
By breaking and lifting up the ground the opera gets exposed, creating a sloping roof that can be used for various activities.
Creating one public roof accessible for everyone and one private roof accessible to the opera visitors during breaks.
To reduce the street noise and the vibrations on the roof a rubberized asphalt is applied on both the street and the roof.
The rubberized asphalt reduces tire and engine noise with 50-75%, resulting in a lower noise level for the entire site.
To enter the enchanted place of opera you have to go below the urban asphalt.
NOISE DISTRIBUTION In the light of the different noise sources present at the site and the noise levels expected from them, the functional spaces in the building have been s orted into acceptable background noise groups (RC levels) according to their intended use. At the same time the different partitions needed for the realization of the project have been roughly organized according to the noise reduction (STC criteria) they are expected to fulfill the noise requirements. This information helps to keep track of the noise distribution around the building.
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SOUNDSCAPE The site soundscape is the expected one from a modern urban environment. The main sources of noise concerning the project are traffic noise (airborne and structureborne) from the adjacent roads as well as a close by underground road, the occasional airborne sound from bypassing planes, and the airborne sound from the normal use of the park to be constructed in the site itself. For the purpose of evaluating the sound insulation needed the averaged noise level of the site is taken as a NC-50 to NC-60 with occasional peaks up to NC-70. Measures to deal with these levels will be taken. Also the operation of the building and the site should add as little acoustical contamination as possible to the surroundings.
URBAN PARK In this urban landscape the people are invited to create a thriving place on their own. During the summers are the skaters dominating the backside of the opera where the skate park is. The rooftop provides a great view of the citys downtown and the harbour. In Montreal the winters are long and an ordinary city park would fall into oblivion. But not this urban park. It has its primetime in the winter when the roof transforms into a ski slope perfect for both sledding and jibbing. Great events such as X-games is going to be hosted here. Below the ski slope is a ice rink provided to the people. All this together creates the most popular hangout in Montreal
RUBBERIZED ASPHALT
SECTION A-A
It is a mixture of regular asphalt and recycled tires. This mixture provides a material that reduces noise with an average of 4 dB. The asphalt also reduces the noise generated by people walking on the roof. The material is softer than regular asphalt and provides a more safe environment for the active person.
OPERA BREAK TERRACE The south roof has the characteristics of a more private roof because it’s not attached to the ground like the north roof. This roof is accessed from the first balcony in the south lobby. It’s the perfect place to drink your wine during the opera breaks in this open-air cafe.
URBAN FURNITURE Like the building is pushing through the ground so does these obstacles randomly over the site. They are perfect to lie down on and reading a book, sit down and just relax or why not just make a sweet pop-shuvit of the ledge to impress your friends.
OUTDOORS CONCRET WALL
GLASS WALL
STC
40
DOUBLE GLASS WALL
45
+
LOBBY
DOUBLE CONCRET WALL
OFFICE
ASPHALT
WORK SHOP
DRESSING ROOMS
RESTURANT
REHERSAL ROOMS
55 + 3
80
RC 70
60
40
30
HALL
15
SECTION B-B
RESTAURANT
UM
REH
E
AL ARS
M ROO
E VAT I R P
AY
L PL L A M S
E NC N LE CTU TRA ATIO N RE E RM O INF
IC B L B U P
RESTAURANT
IT
IB XH
LECTU
E
RE
LECTURE
E NC N LEC TUR TRA ATIO N E RM E O F IN
E
R LECTU
RESTAURANT
EXHIBIT
T
PU BL IC
PU BL IC A
IBI
TOR I
R OM HE RO HIG EEN GR
BY
OB HL
UT
SO
AUD I
LO GR WER EE NR OO M
N FRO
LOBBY
EXH
BY NORTH
OB TL
LECTURE
RESTAURANT
x
SAL
R
AR EHE
MULTIPURPOSE
OPERA
CONCERTS
CONFERENCE
DAY ACTIVITY
The building is divided in 8 parts that can be used differently at various occasions.
During an opera the lower green room will be used by the performers and the rehearsal room can be entered from the roof.
There can be two larger plays at the same time where the green room works as a lobby for the smaller of the two.
There can be several lectures and/or shows in the building at the same time.
The building is built to allways be activew if its not rehearsals there can be several activites there.
BALCONIES
LOBBY PERFORMANCE AND LECTURE (n) A curtain hidden in the balcony railing is lowered down to reduce the volume and create a semi large performance hall in the wings of the lobby. A plane is tilted down from the wall to reflect the sound to the audience. The large stairs can be used as seatings for the audience.
The auditorium is designed to be a great multipurpose hall with its main focus on opera. The hall has no classical side balconies in regard to the bad visual aspects they generate. Instead there are two large balconies on the rear wall. They are calculated to have the same heigth as depth, giving great visuals and even better sound. The absence of the side balconies gave the advantage of using the clean sidewalls for the benefit of multipurpose options.
THE CORRIDOR (l) The scene corridor connects the loading dock with the scene workshop and the back of the main stage. As a design parameter the corridor is used to acoustically insulate the connected spaces. The same rubberized asphalt used in the site and the surrounding roads is laid in this corridor to minimize the noise generated moving materials. Absorbent planes are suspended from the ceiling and the lower part of the walls is covered with scattering and absorbent planes avoiding fluttering echoes. The door of the scene workshop is a single blade sliding door of the same type used for the double blade door of the main stage in case works are carried out in the workshop at the same time as the stage is in use.
B
LOBBY (d)
x
The arrival to the opera begins with a descend into the bright shining light under the black asphalt. Well inside you immediatly get the feel of the visual connections between the different levels. To give the visitors a clean and clutter free lobby the doors are concealed behind large screens reaching all the way from the bottom floor all the way upp to the roof. To guide the visitors where to go the back of the screens are shining with a guiding red light.
0
N
1:12
a
LEVEL 0
c
-3
A
-3 -6 b
d
n m o
c
LEVEL 2
LEVEL 3
n
4 4
-3
12
s
n o 4
0
o
12
5
v
w
5
j
n
o
z 10
e
-3
PLAN
-8 i
-5
STORAGE (i)
h
f
Storage space is distibruted over the entire buildig with some dedicated spaces for specific uses. For example, when the stage shell is not in use it is stored in independent segments. Those forming the side and back walls are stored in a dedicated space across the scene corridor from the stage door. The segments forming the ceiling of the shell are stored in a vertical position hanging from the gridiron. Also the orchestra pit has a special storage in direct connection to the pit.
-6 n g
i
o
l
-8
h i -5
A
o
h
h
m
j
k
h
i
-5
-6
1:12
0
B
1:7
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
Box office House manager office Cloak room Lobby Auditorium Orchestra pit Stage Scen shop Storage Loading dock Mechanical equitment room Corridor Bar Space for occasionally perfomences WC Restaurant Chorus Dressingroom Solo Dressingroom 4-person Dressingroom Orchestra dressingroom Rehearsal room Green Room (multipurpose) Costume Shop,Wardrobe and Wig shop Office Balcony for opera visitors Enterence/Balcony for rehersalroom
o
o i
y
u
5
u
r
x
LOADING DOCK (j) The loading dock has been placed underground to minimize the disturbance on the surroundings during operation. Two ramps leading in and out connect the loading platform with the limits of the site so the impact with the activities in the park is kept at a minimum. The area underground is big enough to allow trucks of various sizes to easily maneuver to face the platform. The same asphalt covering the park is used for the dock and the whole surface in the ceiling is treated with noise-reduction materials to reduce the noise levels for the operators during the loading and unloading of goods.
u
u u
r
LEVEL 1
GREEN ROOM (v) The Green Room is a two-story room with a more private space in the lower room and a public space in the upper room. It’s a room that can work not only as a ordinary green room but also as a multipurpose room during different venues.
r r
v
t
q 0 -5
q
s
0
SCENE SHOP (h) The scene shops is strategically located to contribute to a good working environment. The closeness to the stage and loading dock makes the every day chores a joy. The shop is divided into five rooms, one large room that link the four smaller ones together. The high ceiling creates space above the four smaller rooms that can be used for smaller workshops, storage etc.
-5
p
0 0
-5
Operas: Pre/post events on the upper level where the performers and visitors will have a visual interaction. If the performers want to be more private they can enter their dressing rooms. Rehearsal room Performance: When there is a smaller performance in the rehearsal room the green room will work as a lobby with direct access to the exterior.
q
1:12
HVAC (k) The noise generating machinery involved in the HVAC is kept in a insulated mechanical room located in the basement close to the loading docks. Air intakes are opened in the first floor and lifted from the ground to avoid blockages during snows season. The air ducts are treated with noise absorbent measures and silencers and low-speed openings are implemented for the rehearsal rooms. For the main hall an independent system with an additional plenum (120 m3) beneath the seating floor. This extra volume serves as a buffer and prevents the noise from reaching the audience room.
r
u
Other days: The green room can be used separately from the lobby so there could be different workshops, exibits and ensambles in different parts of the building at the same time.
LOBBY DURING A BREAK
THE OPERA HALL DURING BALLET
DANCE SHOW IN THE REHEARSAL ROOM
OPERA MODE
CONCERT MODE:
SPEECH MODE
ORCHESTRA PIT
SHIELDING CURTAIN
TILTING PLANES
NO FLUTTER ECHO
Basic configuration for opera performances focusing on good balance between the singers in the stage and the orchestra in the pit and in an appropriate reverberation time suitable for operas for most musical eras.
Modified configuration to optimize the use of the space for orchestra and small ensembles performances. A stage shell is deployed to reinforce the feedback for the perfomers and the projection into the audience. The pit is also lifted to allow for a closer contact with the audience. A reverberation chamber located above the reflecting roof is open to adequate the reverberation time. Helmholtz resonators are placed in the reverberation chamber to reduce the low frequencies.
Modified configuration to adapt the hall for speech requirements (classes, presentation, etc.) The reverberation time is dramatically shortened by reducing the volume of the space (closing the balconies and the back of the main floor) and increasing the absorption (tapestry and resonant absorbers). Reflecting planes integrated in the walls are lowered to increase the early reflections, helping the speech intelligibility.
In the thickness of the balcony railing is a shielding curtain hidden. When lowered down is seals of the balconies to create a smaller volume perfect for speech.
To better decrease the reverberation time for the low frequencies in the speech mode resonant absorbers are used. Helmholtz resonators are opened around the proscenium for the 125 and 250 Hz bands. For the 500 Hz band membrane resonators allocated behind the side wall planes are used instead of cavity resonators to address the lack of space.
To avoid flutter echo the singe dressing rooms and the small rehearsal rooms are designed to have no parallel walls. This gives the opera singers a good environment to warm up right before they enter the stage to star in the opera.
CLARITY
CLARITY
SPEECH INTELLIGIBILITY
Orchestra pit design takes special care on the pedagogical aspect of the building. It is not just an orchestra pit but also a classroom. The surface covered by the overhang of the stage is small avoiding the sensation of close space. Some flexibility is introduced by using movable scattering panels to reduce the effective area for different ensemble sizes. The top reflector of the proscenium gives a good feedback to the musicians in the pit and also a good coverage to the stage. Yet the acoustics for a full orchestra performance are taking care off. The sound balance for the audience between the orchestra and the singers is designed to not drowning the voices but still giving good clarity for both.
ORCHESTRA / SINGER
dB
dB
5
5
0
0
-5
-5
-10
-10
-15
-15
1k
ION T A IL T N VE
STI 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1
CLARITY Metrics relating the early and late part of the sound at the listener position. It gives an idea of how clear the phasing of music and sang text is perceived. For music the eighty first milliseconds are considered as early sound and for voice the fifty first milliseconds.
1k
SPEECH INTELLIGIBILITY
0
G dB
ORCHESTRA / SINGER
STRENGTH
0
G dB
STRENGTH
G dB 10
STRENGTH INDEX This metrics gives an idea of the loudness in the sitting area. It’s a good way to observe the balance between the singers on the stage and the orchestra in the pit for opera performances.
5
REHEARSAL ROOM
0
ENVELOPMENT -5
1k
ENVELOPMENT
-5
1k
A way to measure the sensation of envelopment in the audience area is to use the lateral energy fraction. This metric compares the amount of sound arriving from the front to that arriving from the sides. A good value for opera and orchestra concert is considered to be 15-35%.
-5 1k
ENVELOPMENT
Reberveration time comparison for different modes
2.5
Opera mode Concert mode
40 30
LF % 40 30
Reverberation time [in sec]
Speech mode
LF %
2
1.5
20 10 0 2k
20 10 0 2k
1
0.5
125
250
500
1000
Frequency [in Hz]
2000
4000
REVERBERATION TIME This is the measure of how long the sound remains in the room after being produced. It is one of the basic metrics to characterize a space and the values considered good vary with the intended use of the room and sometimes with the taste of the listener. As reference for opera auditoriums good values are considered between 1.4 and 1.6 seconds, for orchestra auditoriums 1.6 to 2.2 seconds.
DOUBLE SHELL The hall and the main stage are built using the “box in a box” approach: a concrete room contained inside a second concrete shell. The physical connections between the two structures are kept to a minimum to avoid flanking transmissions coming from the sources like the mechanical room, the loading docks or the underground railroad close to the site. The inner room is suspended on springs with rubber foundations. The cables and pipes going into the hall have no rigid connections. Instead they hang loosely to avoid transmissions. The space between the roofs of both shells is filled with elastic absorbent material for structural purposes. On the doors the gap is solved with vibration reduction rubber. The stage main door is a double sliding door designed to maintain the independence and the noise reduction of the double wall. For every day operation they work as normal sliding door. During performances in the main stage both blades can be pushed to a position embedded in the wall where the rubber sealing minimizes the airborne sound transmissions.
The main rehearsal room is designed as a multipurpose room capable of hosting small performances and events as well as the rehearsal sessions for the full opera orchestra, choir or dance body. The rehearsal room functions as a secondary stage with its own separate entrance from the sloping roof so it can host an event at the same time an opera is playing in the main auditorium. When there’s an event taking place in the rehearsal room the upper green room acts as a lobby with a bar, toilettes and everything one could need. The volume is divided in two levels where the balconies are for the audience mainly and provides visitors with a good view from above. The acoustics of the room are designed
for flexibility. The reflective panels covering the double glass walls can be tilted to increase the scattering and exposing the back part of the planes that is covered with heavy absorbing material. When the planes are open the reverberation time (Average 0.8s) is optimal for rehearsal of the orchestra. When the planes are closed the reverberation time increases to a more suitable value (Average 1.5s) for general performances. The scattering ceiling in the shape of an inverted pyramid directs some early reflection to the balconies for the standing audience and improves the diffuseness of the reverberant field.
Reverberation time for rehearsal room
2
long reverberation set up short reverberation set up
Reverberation time [in sec]
STRENGTH
The speech transmission index characterizing the room in terms of speech intelligibility. Values above 0.6 are considered good and above 0.75 are considered excellent.
1.5
ACOUSTIC PANELS 1
0.5
125
250
500
1000
Frequency [in Hz]
2000
4000
The acoustic panels used in the rehearsal room and the corridor are constructed to match the concept of the opera building. The panel fronts are tilted blackish planes. When tilted the bright absorbative sides are exposed and the angle of the planes makes the sound diffusive.