mevaseret music school concept by pliskin architecture

mevaseret music school concept by pliskin architecture

the undeveloped landscape of har’el park stretches into the horizon near mevaseret zion, a small town located west of jersualem, israel. the valley, though picturesque, remains mostly inaccessible to the public. its terrain is difficult, with steep topographical changes that inhibit direct interaction. but these qualities aren’t negative, in fact they serve as the conceptual basis for the ‘mevaseret music school’.

front façade
all images © pa | nyc

designed by tribeca, NYC-based pliskin architecture, the conservatory elevates students and public alike to a position that allows appreciation of the landscape, while also capitalizing on a naturally steep incline. a street level entrance leads visitors into a partially-covered plaza and café area; the school’s main circulation space. from here, main areas including an elevated classroom level and a lower auditorium/backstage areas, are within reach.

interior entrance space

the auditorium nestles into the hillside, facing south-east over the har’el park valley. backstage and support spaces are located under seating — there are interior and exterior sections — with auxiliary entrances from parking lot and loading dock. acoustic differentiation is accommodated via motorized roller shades. these account of various reverb times by changing the ration of reflective and absorptive surfaces in the music hall.

structure exterior from har’el boulevard

an elevated classroom floor, located above the entrance plaza, is clad with a semi-permeable stone enclosure — a contemporary interpretation of traditional façade treatment in the area. filtered light enters spaces for a balanced atmosphere that supplements artificial sources. several individual practice rooms overlook the public entrance below. should students choose to do so, they can raise shades to create visual connection with passersby below. another experience, the rock room, features a motorized skylight that can fully open to provide an open-air rehearsal hall. the ‘mevaseret music school’ concept was a 3rd round finalist in an an open competition that took place this year. 

tiered seating arrangement

audience seating: exterior (left), interior

exploded view

axonometric: typical building section

sections

basement

ground floor

top level

project info:

name: ‘mevaseret music school’
purpose: educational facility, competition entry
team: lee altman, travis bunt, thomas heltzel, barak pliskin, james quick, amy shell, mat staudt
status: finalist

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