Ryuichi Sasaki Architecture

The International Center of Music at the birthplace of Fryderyk Chopin aims to expand and intensify statutory activities of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute, making the team in Żelazowa Wola a thriving center of artistic and educational activities. This assumption requires architecture focused on the spirit of the place, inseparably connected with it, respecting the surroundings and the influence of the charming park - the monument and the birthplace of the composer. It should harmoniously combine all these elements.

The designed object confronts the birthplace of Fryderyk Chopin, captures the vivid spirit of his priceless musical and ideological legacy, and through tectonics translates it into a modern architectural language.

Designing the northern façade facing the park as a multi-level glass gallery allows unrestricted insight into the surrounding landscape as well as for displaying the shape of the concert hall from the side of the park. The sculptural geometry of this façade with the fluctuations of glazing, pillars and walls, is divided into smaller fragments, reducing the scale of the whole, increasing lightness and at the same time giving dynamics.

From each level of the building there is an infinite view of the park, the planned paths and terrain elements lead to the building, and the entrances in the basement are inviting constantly to the inside. Thanks to many openings in the walls and ceilings and glazing, a kind of landscape is also created inside. It opens to the views and the viewer, shaping attractive, interesting and accessible architecture. An unbreakable dialogue of space is created.

In the building of the International Music Center there are 2 main communication routes for guests. The first, leading from the entrance zone on the east-west axis to the foyer of the concert hall and the second - the main courtyard with stairs in the form of a sculpture surrounding the interior, leading through all floors up to the roof terrace.

A clear communication system and zones (concert, practice, education and conference) makes the building user-friendly.

The interior of the concert hall, in addition to the highest acoustic standards, is to ensure intimacy and a sense of closeness between the audience and the performer. It has to give a sense of unity with music.

Dialogue between SOUND AND SPACE
The designed object confronts the birthplace of Fryderyk Chopin, captures the vivid spirit of his priceless musical and ideological legacy, and through tectonics translates it into a modern architectural language. Music can express time, space and, at the same time, emptiness, forcing internal effort through constant changes of melody or pace. Architecture consists of variable forms and shapes, from a series of shifts in space, from the harmony of supports. Architecture is the music of the structure. Music reverberates in space along with ever-changing geometry.

Inspiration with music notation
The sounds are expressed on paper as notes, using the head　and tail, limited by the staff. Architecture is similarly defined - between two or more lines.
Our project uses the geometry of music notation, rescales it, moves it, moves it and creates various levels of the building with it. The concept refers to the concept of rubato, but it does not want to impose an unambiguous interpretation of what form it follows from it. The assumption was to create an architecture that, like music, evokes different feelings and emotions in every recipient

The Concert Hall
The concert hall has been designed in the highest acoustic standard. In addition to concerts, it allows you to perform a simple opera.To provide the most even acoustic field rich in reverberation energy, we offer a "shoebox" type room with side panels and back balconies. An additional advantage of this solution is the intimate character and closeness between the artists and the audience. Trapezoid lumps of acoustic panels torment the architectural language of the whole object, creating space only for music. functionally they are responsible for the even distribution of the acoustic field, they also affect the form and the artistic expression of the room.

The Concert Hall and Foyer
The concept assumes a clear connection of the object with the environment by opening the main entrances along the east-west axis. This axis connects the eastern entrance zone and the main courtyard with the foyer of the concert hall, guiding guests through all floors in constant contact with nature, because thanks to large-area glazed windows from the foyer stretches like an unobstructed view of the park. The connection was also opened on the north-south axis with free flow inside - outside, communicating foyer, cafe and square in front of MCM. A foyer shaped in the form of broad degrees permeating and connecting individual levels encourages you to move in search of a place for yourself, a place with a view that will move us. A multi-functional space for artists has been created, in which "musical" rooms (rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, chamber and concert rooms) located in close proximity to each other, connect in a clear way, enabling easy communication. The magazines of instruments and wardrobes were located in a zone inaccessible to guests. Additional halls / lounge rooms are designed to provide artists with the highest comfort of use.During the biggest events, the exercise rooms can be used as additional wardrobe.

People and Music
The goal was to create an open plan with a clear and legible user interface
zoning, while meeting functional requirements. However, the function is not everything, which is why the project included various openings, visual connections, non-obvious forms. The concept assumes a clear connection between the object and the environment through opening major entries along the east-west axis. This axis connects the eastern entrance zone and the main courtyard with the concert hall foyer, leading guests through all storeys in constant contact with nature, because thanks to the large surface area glazing from the foyer stretches like an unobstructed view of the park.

The main courtyard combines external and internal functions, leading guests through
individual activities, on terraces, to the park. The vertical partitions in the building are partly open. Thanks, in the interior the landscape is also formed, which through glazing and access from the side the northern one seamlessly connects with the park.
From the interior there is a panoramic view of the park - a monument in honor of Frederic Chopin, combining with the genius loci of this unique place.

Melody stopped in time using concrete and glass forms geometric, vibrating in a space created from walls and pillars, the uniqueness of which is additionally accentuated by trapezoidal solids.

Practice Rooms
The area of the classrooms was at the center of activity and interest. Through glazing and opening it is to present the everyday musical activity of the Center. Everyone has a chance to participate in a spontaneous performance.

The first floor of the building was designed as a "level for music", fulfilling various needs of users. Placing all musical rooms on the first floor (rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, chamber and concert rooms) located in close proximity to each other, combines them functionally in a clear way, enabling easy communication. In addition, especially during major events requiring flawless organization, this layout allows for efficient time, space and user management. Exercise rooms, depending on your preferences, may be available to viewers or closed to unauthorized access.

DIALOGUE BETWEEN EXISTING AND NEW
The founding of the International Music Center will be established in the immediate vicinity of the park near the birthplace of Fryderyk Chopin. It was designed as a continuation of the project of prof. Krzywdy - Polkowskiego and architect Bolesław Stelmach. The goal was to be aware of entering a new object and its surroundings so that they would become a part of the monument in honor of the composer. The building, despite its cubature, is to assume a complementary role in relation to the existing elements. Additionally, to respect the idyllic, natural character of the place, it is planned to preserve all valuable trees. The density of other plantings after meticulous selection will be adapted to the density of plantings in the park near the birth house of Fryderyk Chopin. Through the landscape (park), through the extension of the north-south axis, a dialogue between the existing and the new is created. The continuity of spatial relations and views as well as the continuity of activities and events is ensured. On the same north-south axes, paths, stairs and low terraces in the amphitheater layout, functioning as an external square, are beautifully integrated. Despite the close symbolic and physical connection to the existing park, MCM will be able to function fully independently. Comfortable and clear opening from the side of the public road provides an attractive access to the object. The roadside trees integrated in this space allow to preserve the original character of the place, allow for framing the western and northern facade, visually reducing the scale of the object.
The overriding premise was to link the interiors of MCM with the nearest surroundings and on a larger scale with the park Krzywda - Polkowskiego and providing guests free access to the entire assumption and to the Investor full freedom in the organization of work and life of the object. A variety of architectural elementsand landscape creates a space ideal for various type of activities related to the MCM activity.

Structure
This is a plan for a music centre, which stands in a beautiful park in front of “chopin house”.It consists of a auditorium, its foyer, chamber hall and several practice rooms.
For the various rooms’ part, relatively closed rooms are required acoustically and each room is not too large. We propose therefore a structural system with oblique trapezoidal walls. It brings acoustical advantage, as well as musical rhythm in the whole building. The oblique trapezoidal walls are placed somehow randomly with different inclination, but connected each other with the slabs and supporting reciprocally. Upper wall should have at least one crossing point with a wall below, so that the vertical loads are appropriatelly transmitted. The chamber hall has a bit bigger scale. Here beams span between walls in the depth of ceiling finishing, on which a room above stands. In the ground floor level and in the underground level, enough walls are planned to distribute the loads from above to the foundation.Horizontal load, such as wind load or seismic load, is transmitted through a wall to aslab, and then to a wall below till to the foundation.