Garsington Opera Arts Hub

By claudine

Garsington Opera Arts Hub

Author

claudine

Posted

Following SSV’s contribution to the Garsington Opera Pavilion, the proposed 5000m² Opera Arts hub building presents a unique opportunity for Garsington Opera to consolidate their rehearsal, set building and recording activities at their home at Wormsley. It comprises three large rehearsal studios, individual practice rooms, community workshop facilities, prop & costume workshops and a Green Room Café.

The design employs sustainable lightweight building methods to achieve high acoustical quality, ensuring multiple concurrent activities can take place without disturbance; accommodating rehearsals, performances and recordings. The facilities will be available to both the opera company and its successful community outreach programme that has brought opera to many local schools.

A multitude of different use and occupancy scenarios were modelled at the design stage, to settle on a combination of variable and fixed room acoustical finishes in the main rehearsal halls such that the users have flexibility in retracting absorbing finishes when there is a large audience soaking up sound, or the option to extend them should a small ensemble or a lone singer want a dryer sound when rehearsing or recording.