GRAFT Architects has just won the competition to design the new Carl Bechstein Music Campus. Located centrally in Berlin, the Carl Bechstein Foundation’s main goal with the campus is to create a cultural hub entirely devoted to piano music. Serving as a focal point for the Bechstein Brand, established in 1853 and known for its variety of Bechstein pianos, this campus will serve as a focal point and a new headquarters for the foundation.
Encompassing two music halls, the campus will also house a flagship Bechstein store, a museum exhibiting a collection of historic Bechstein pianos and harpischords, 30 musician residences, administrative spaces, a restaurant, and a piano bar. Although the campus will be divided into several areas, the building's inner portions are designed to be connected in various ways. The main goal of GRAFT is to craft an energetic space filled with piano music and welcome guests with open arms.
The integration of the Bechstein brand with the city is emphasized in the overarching goal for the Carl Bechstein Campus. Designed as a welcoming center for musical inquiry with a rich history, broad cultural reach, and a commitment to diversity, the campus seeks to contribute to the development of Berlin's music scene and greatly enhance the artistic attraction of the Europacity neighborhood on Heidestrasse.
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Uniting Science and Nature: Henning Larsen Wins Competition to Design B777 CERN Campus in FranceThe project features displayed grand and upright pianos, as well as two music halls that host public performances of a variety keyboard music. Boasting 500 seats, the larger chamber music hall aims to contribute to Berlin's cultural landscape. Designed in collaboration with ARUP, the hall’s design and acoustics were meticulously developed to achieve the desired standard.
Furthermore, the campus boasts a smaller hall that can accommodate 100 guests, secondary to the larger space. Access to both halls will be through a dramatic foyer and staircase spanning multiple levels of the building’s façade. Additionally, the campus will fill the final gap in the perimeter block development along Heidestrasse, resulting in a new urban square named Franz-Liszt-Platz, offering both a distinguished address for the Bechstein brand and a starting point for exploration of the campus's diverse offerings.
The Carl Bechstein Campus aims to be dynamic in its nature, characterized by its flowing brickwork façade. At key access points, the façade “generously opens up to the city.” In fact, on the eastern side of the building along Heidestrasse, the façade rises and lowers, allowing views into the concert foyers. This design strategy aims to showcase the Bechstein brand integrated into the urban landscape, ultimately enhancing the campus's standing as a welcoming hub for cultural enrichment and musical legacy.
Architectural competitions often serve as catalysts propelling design thinking forward. In other recent news about competitions, Goettsch Partners has recently won a design competition for an expansive urban renewal initiative in Jinan, China. Additionally, MVRDV has won the competition to design two structures within the Tianfu Software Park in Chengdu, China. Finally, RSHP has just won the Jean Moulin competition held in La Défense, Paris, to design a low-carbon mixed-use development.
