Chinese firm Domani Architectural Concepts has created a recording studio inside Guangzhou Opera House, featuring an interior covered with jumbled wooden panels that contribute to its acoustic performance.
The Meilan Music Studio is located on the fourth floor of the opera house that was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and opened in 2010 on a site in Guangzhou's central business district.
Jumbled timber panels make up the walls and ceiling of Meilan Music Studio
Domani Architectural Concepts was approached in 2017 to develop a design for the mixed-use studio complex, which is used for rehearsing and recording sessions by symphony and chamber orchestras, choirs and other musicians.
The music studio is arranged across two floors and comprises a large double-height performance space surrounded by several recording rooms and a workspace for music production, as well as relaxation areas and utility spaces. Domani Architectural Concepts wanted the studio to look chaotic
"The spaces needed to be aesthetically creative, as well as refreshing the impression of the traditional music studio while fulfilling strict acoustic criteria," said Domani, which was shortlisted in the civic and cultural interior category of Dezeen Awards 2021 for the project.
The studio's walls and ceiling are covered with acoustic panels made from solid or slatted timber that are arranged in an apparently random configuration.
The panels incorporate lighting and acoustic features
"We aimed to ...