An ultra-modern, mini and temporary opera space for the 2010 Munich Opera Festival. Architectual design by COOP HIMMELB(L)AU.

Notes about the opera house from the architects:

The task was to develop a temporary 300 seat Pavilion for the Munich Opera Festival 2010 with a multifunctional stage. Though being one of the smallest projects the Pavilion is one of the most exciting ones the design studio is working on. There is a contradiction between the requirements for mobility on the one hand and excellent acoustics on the other: mobile lightweight construction is usually not suitable for acoustic spaces which require physical mass.

As it is the case with the three opera and concert halls in China, Denmark and Spain which COOP HIMMELB(L)AU is currently planning and constructing, the acoustical properties of a space can be enhanced by tilted walls and increased surface area. Another design strategy is also to reduce the influence of external sources of sound. The Pavilion which is 21 meters long, 17 meters wide and between 6 and 8 meters high will be positioned in such a way on the Marstallplatz that it will act more as a sound reflector than as a barrier to the sound of the cars passing by.

Photos © Armin Hess, ISOCHROM
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