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The transition from urban to differentiated topological space made for a continuous and smooth differentiation of the building program. In this sense, the project aimed at achieving an extensive weaving of its formal and programmatic content with given the urban fabric of the town. The project was an attempt to create a fresh architectural context for producing and communicating culture from within an institution in an urban setting. While the urban surface of the surroundings was extended and internalised in the building, a counter movement was envisioned to take place with the activities of the centre that would flow back into the town of Jyväskylä.

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In the age of the electronic media and mass entertainment, the physical fact and role of an arts institution can no longer be taken for granted. The project is seen to reflect upon this paradox and tension in the construction of a large and costly cultural centre. The attempt is to use the latent power of landscaped surfaces in an urban condition to create an extended link between the inside and the outside, between the domain of high culture and the city. This offers a radically open and, at the same time, protected space for cultural exchange. This exchange is extrapolated from the building itself to reach into the existing urban fabric. In this manner the production, show and exchange of cultural activities would at given times be disengaged from the physical setting of the building itself and disseminated to wider audience.

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The project is configured from three primary elements: 1. A topological surface which is the extension of the urban surface surrounding the site, and which folds up vertically into a Liquid Flow Space along the east- west diagonal. All access ramps and vertical structure spring from this topological construct. 2. Two floating blocks on either side of the south-north diagonal of the site. The block towards the south and the park contains the music facilities, completes the corner of the site and therefore the urban block and grid structure of Jyväskylä. The two raised blocks hover on columns that spring from the topological surface underneath. The external facades of the two blocks facing the city are flat surfaces. The roof is the same. Towards the inside and underneath, the outer surface geometry of the blocks are faceted polygons.

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The music and arts centre open up underneath to welcome visitors, professionals, students, audiences and passer-bys to enjoy a planned or chance encounter with the activities of the centre. Throughout the passage from outside to inside there is a gradual transition between categorically different types of spaces. The transition from homogeneous urban to differentiated topological continues up the smooth ramps that penetrate the Liquid Flow Space. As the name indicates, this is where the outside urban condition becomes fully internalised and transformed into a space with free flow of light and movement. The topological ground itself is made from concrete and covered with laminar wood planks. It has a smooth color gradient going from asphalt color at the street side, via tones of grey and gold towards the middle, to silver and white ramps reaching the upper level of the Liquid Flow Space.

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The columns supporting the floating boxes and making the structural latticework for the Liquid Flow Space are made from steel reinforced glue laminated wood. The surface of the columns is treated so that they, too, produce a gradient from being highly blue-grey underneath the boxes to becoming yellow and gold for the Liquid Flow Space. The structure for the floating, closed boxes are from steel reinforced concrete. The flat surfaces towards the streets are clad with ochre tinted glass fastened on a steel framework. Underneath and towards the inside, the faceted polygonal areas of the facades are clad with wood louvers. Where the room program requirements allow, these louvered panels operate as windows which allow natural light to flow in. In other places, the wood covers the necessary insulation and the structure. The inside of the concert hall box is made from redwood. The series of spaces constitute a continuous variation on a Nordic mix of sensuous warm and cool feelings. The Liquid Flow Space is the composite space made from a steel reinforced wood columnar structure, concrete ramps, wood covered floor slabs, and a secondary steel frame. The secondary steel frame is attached to the concrete structure and it carries glass, louvered wood panels and synthetic fabrics that create the skin of the building regulate the light inside. The basic composition of the material elements on the steel frame is striated in multiple directions which further enable the controlling of views and light to match the various performative requirements and to generate a variety of dramatic atmospheres.

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CREDITS

Phase 1

Principal Architects

Kivi Sotamaa & Johan Bettum

Project Team

Vesa Oiva, Lasse Wager, Hein van Dam

Model for Venice Biennale 2004

Principal Architects

Michael Hensel and Achim Menges based on Architectural Design by Kivi Sotamaa & Johan Bettum

Project Team

AA student team built the model under Michael Hensel’s direction: Hani Fallaha, Shireen Han, Andrew Kudless, Neri Oxman, Nazaneen Roxanne Shafaie, Cordula Stach, Nikolaos Stathopoulos, Mark Tynan, Muchuan Xu

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