Concert(ed) effort - Bramall Music Building

Over three months on from it's official opening, Sounding the changes - Bramall Music Building Open, the new Bramall Music Building's versatility and function continue to attract users both musically and corporate to it's cutting edge facilities.

The building beautifully completes the red brick crescent of Chancellor's Court in a modern but faithful interpretation of the surrounding hundred year old buildings while internally it's equally beautifully designed interior uses cutting edge facilities to enable an extremely versatile space for music and more.

The £13 million project was designed by Architects Glenn Howells and used 410 tonnes of steel to form the auditorium and music rehearsal room's domed roof.

The centrepiece of the building is the 450 seat Elgar Concert Hall which uses Birmingham's world renowned Symphony Hall as it's acoustic model.  The Elgar Hall is a space that can accommodate varying performances from solo performers to the contrasting music styles and acoustic requirements of classical music and rock music for example with reverb chambers, curtains and baffles and moveable wings and seating allowing the space to fit the music.  The versatility allows for a thrust stage, a 200 person choir or a more intimate performance space so that musicians and performers can immerse themselves closer to the audience while maintaining acoustics.

The hall offers a space that compliments Symphony Hall in it's acoustics while offering the intimacy of a smaller venue but with an amazingly versatile arrangement for seating and acoustics.  The space is so amazingly versatile that there is a drive-in loading bay with a lift that is capable of hoisting a car directly onto the stage with the stage able to hold a weight limit of 5 tonnes.

The hall is due to welcome it's finishing touches in 2014 when an organ is installed which should crown the hall and seal it as a true sister to the world famous Symphony Hall and Town Hall, offering Birmingham and it's visitors a trio of venues for music and backdrops for events and meetings.

Under the rooftop dome of the Bramall Music Building is a smaller space that will offer an ever more intimate space for performances that along with the storage, rehearsal rooms and lobby space offer an extremely versatile building that is a mix of public and university space that should enhance Birmingham and the University of Birmingham's reputation nationally and internationally.

The following images were taken on 30 January 2013.

Stairwell rising through the building.


 Rehersal and performance space under the dome.




Entrance lobby


Rehersal room.

Elgar Concert Hall










The space where the organ will be installed in 2014.


Further details on the hall as a venue can be found on their website, http://www.venuebirmingham.com/venue/elgar-concert-hall

Events taking place in the hall can be found listed at the University of Birmingham website, http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/bramall/events/index.aspx?EventsListingOrig_List_GoToPage=2

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