Project Description

Overview

The University of Music and Performing Arts of Vienna is one of the largest and most respected schools of its kind in the world. Originally founded in 1817, it has a wide array of programs dedicated to advanced studies in musical composition, performance, and recording. The Future Art Lab (FAL) is the school’s latest commitment to these subjects, an ambitious multi-story high-tech complex designed by Pichler & Traupmann Architekten.

Program

FAL was designed to meet the rapidly expanding scope of the school’s audio engineering, film production, and music composition programs as well as anticipate the needs of its students within emerging multimedia formats. The WSDG design team was tasked with creating a full interior acoustics and system design package for the entire complex that could accommodate both analog and digital workflows, high-quality network integration, and Dolby ATMOS in some areas, as well as be configurable for a broad variety of multimedia production applications and educational needs. The range of room profiles included multiple recording studios, live rooms, sound design labs, and a theater for screening film and video projects.

Design

The basement level of FAL consists of nine studio control rooms, and a pair of shared live rooms. Audio Control Rooms A, B, and C are the main control rooms, and they are attached to the large live room and drum booth. Control Rooms B and C are focused on entirely digital and analog workflows respectively, while A has a hybrid system of both and a full Dolby ATMOS System. On the other side of the floor is a row of teaching rooms with seating for up to six students and are configurable for a variety of activities and applications. This row includes an Experimental Studio equipped with vintage synthesizers and a Film Mixing Studio equipped for Dolby ATMOS.

The ground floor consists of a movie theater also equipped for Dolby ATMOS with two projectors – one for educational needs and one for digital cinema projections. The remaining rooms include a Sound Design Suite for the University’s film department which consists of two configurable recording spaces, and a Control Room designed for use with the university’s concert hall.

Photography by Dirk Noy

Links

Visit the Official University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna Website