Miralles Tagliabue EMBT wins the competition for the Shenzhen Conservatory of Music

Conservatory of Music

Miralles Tagliabue EMBT studio wins the first prize in the international competition for the creation of the Conservatory of Music in Shenzhen. The studio is among the winners who will define the architecture of the 10 new cultural buildings of the new era of the city of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Ten Cultural Facilities of New Era (Shenzhen New Ten) promoted by the Municipal Government, among which are international studios such as Zaha Hadid, SANAA, Jean Nouvel, Sou Fujimoto…

The complex designed by Miralles Tagliabue EMBT is characterized by the dialogue with the landscape, it integrates music and the arts in nature with a proposal of organic and sustainable architecture inserted in an exceptional landscape. The new cultural landmark will host an international and innovative community in an educational environment of recognized global prestige. The masterplan includes multiple buildings creating the Shenzhen Conservatory of Music complex and integrating it into the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Campus, Shenzhen.

The strategy of the complex is based on a balanced dialogue with the natural environment, highlighting as a priority the conservation of the environmental value of the site. This dialogue, with water and green, creates a new way of understanding learning: a place of calm and connection with nature for education and creativity. The main theatre stands out as the protagonist and places the campus from distant perspectives, opening it up to the public and the city.

The division of the limits between the interior and the exterior is totally blurred thanks to the fluidity of the connection with nature, creating a complete fusion with the landscape. The distribution of the pieces respectfully connects with the existing University Campus to provide continuity to the intervention. Passive strategies for energy management have been a priority in the design. A detailed study of the orientations and natural, traditional and environmentally friendly materials, such as wood and ceramics, has been applied.

The result is an organic architecture and facades of sustainable materials with compositions that resemble some musical scores. The main axis of the complex articulates the position of the buildings for artistic performance: rehearsal room, concert hall and theatre. Meanwhile, the bright and green interior squares vertically link the learning spaces with those for musical interpretation, as if it were a living organism in which all parts are interconnected, in which education and creativity flow and share space.

The library, the students’ dorms and the administration are also connected transversely to the complex. The set of buildings creates a unique educational model based on the relationship with nature and the belief in the ability of architecture to motivate creativity in the university community. Source by Miralles Tagliabue EMBT.

  • Location: Shenzhen, China
  • Architect: Miralles Tagliabue EMBT
  • Architect in charge: Benedetta Tagliabue
  • Project Director: Nazaret Busto Rodríguez
  • Design Team: Julia de Ory Mallavia, Dimitris Stefanakis, Jaime Ruíz Fernández, María Borrell Vilanova, Guillermo Sotelo Santos, Pietro Borzacca, Ana Maria Lazar.
  • Co-Organizer: Shenzhen Position Spatial Culture Development Co., Ltd.
  • Client: Engineering Design Management Center of Bureau of Public Works of Shenzhen Municipality
  • Area: 73.777 m2 plot area, 129,700 m2 building (floor area)
  • Performance buildings: Theater (700-seats), Concert hall (500-seats), Rehearsal hall (200-seats)
  • Year: 2020
  • Images: Lluc Miralles, Courtesy of Miralles Tagliabue EMBT

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