German Concert Venue Plays With Light and Sound Specifying GKD

October 18, 2016

In a magnificent transformation of the public arts center in Aachen, Germany, the architects Bert Haller Innerenarchitekten, specified three woven metal fabrics. An elegant backdrop for the facilities largest stage is cloaked in Baltic and Lamelle and a theatrical facade of Escale is specified at the entrance. Eurogress is a modern meeting and conference center where all kinds of concerts and cultural events are held in the evening, and corporate business meetings and trade fairs during the day. Aachen is a western city in Germany, bordering Belgium and the Netherlands, and is one of the top ranking cities in Germany for innovation.

The designers at Bert Haller Innerenarchitekten worked diligently to create a multifunctional facility with particular emphasis placed on the technical infrastructure and innovative design concept. The ageing building complex was completed in several stages to include three concert halls, state-of-the-art conference rooms, and an entrance and foyer area.

Part of the challenge in the design process for the German architecture firm included demands to accommodate a diverse range of events. GKD was chosen for the Eurogress Europe Hall for its many choices of woven metals. Additionally, the properties of the specified Baltic metal mesh fabric are acoustically favorable and aesthetically pleasing for a large concert hall. In the 1,700-seat arena, 600 horizontal curved panels of Baltic fabric surround the crux of the stage. Over 200 vertical panels of Lamelle blend to create a spectacular stage presence.

Concerts play in front a dramatic backdrop of blues, pinks, and purples in Europe Hall where LED lights reflect off the metal panels to create a theatrical venue for all types of performances. Interlocking metal panels are constructed like sculpture to create a functionally pleasing and spatially designed element that brings everything together.

The focal point for another large concert hall that seats up to 480 specifies mosaic tile to create a curtain between the stage and seating section. Again, the designers play with light and shade, using reflective tiles to produce a quiet backdrop for the main stage. Throughout the various concert halls and conference rooms, dramatic lighting, acoustics, and attention to incorporating technical equipment were considered.

Large metal concave sheets of Escale metal fabric cloak the exterior’s entrance. The illuminated façade in front of the dark building plays with light and shade through the reflective qualities of the metal and the placement of LED lights shining along the metal façade. At night it lights up to create a mask of lighting design serving as a presentation surface for the inner event.

Throughout the modernized event venue, GKD plays a central role in making a space that is visually pleasing. In addition to impressive displays of design with the fabric, the material serves many functional purposes. With lighting playing a central focus of the design, the various specified materials are beautifully integrated.

information and photography courtesy of Bert Haller Innerenarchitekten