GREAT AMBER - Concert Hall

What inspired us: THE TOPOLOGICAL AND TOPOGRAPHICAL SITUATION OF LIEPAJA, BETWEEN THE BALTIC SEA AND THE LAKE OF LIEPAJA. LIEPAJA IS THE MOST WESTERN AND THIRD-LARGEST CITY IN LATVIA. A CITY OF MUSIC (ROCK AND CLASSIC). A SEASIDE RESORT WITH A BEAUTIFUL BEACH ON THE BALTIC SEA. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST CENTURY, LIEPAJA BECAME A STRONG COMMERCIAL CITY WITH A SHIP CONNECTION TO NEW YORK AND HALIFAX TWO TIMES A WEEK. AFTER 1940, LIEPAJA WAS A SO CALLED "CLOSED CITY" UNTIL 1991. IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO LEAVE OR TO VISIT THE CITY ETC. NOW THAT BETTER TIMES HAVE COME TO THE CITY, WE TRIED TO BUILD GREAT AMBER AS A NEW CULTURAL DISTRICT, THE NEW ARCHITECTURAL AND SOCIAL LANDMARK OF LIEPAJA. THE VERSATILITY OF THE MULTIPURPOSE BUILDING IS UNDERLINED BY THE “CIVITA NOVA”, THE EXPERIMENTAL STAGE, THE MUSIC SCHOOL ETC. ETC, AS WELL AS BY THE GRAND HALL (MUSIC- AND CONGRESS CENTER) AND THE CHAMBER MUSIC HALL.

THE DECISION TO BUILD A CONCERT HALL IN THE CITY OF LIEPAJA WAS MADE BACK IN 1896. IN 2015, THE CONCERT HALL BECAME REALITY AS A MULTIPUPOSE BUILDING. AS WELL AS PROVIDING FOR MULTIPURPOSE FUNCTIONS, “GREAT AMBER” IS THE ONLY INTERNATIONAL CONCERT HALL IN LATVIA AND THE BIGGEST IN THE BALTIC´S. The fairy tale continues: THE CHIEF CONDUCTOR INITIATED THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW BUILDING FOR A CONCERT HALL THAT WOULD REFLECT INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS. THE IDEA WAS TO CREATE A MAGIC PLACE OF MUSIC ON THE BALTIC SEA. 1ST INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION IN LATVIA. THE STATE PRESIDENT TOOK OVER THE PATRONAGE. LITTLE MONEY AND MUCH ENTHUSIASM. COMPLETION IN AUTUMN 2015. What made us arrive at shape and form: LIEPAJA IS THE CITY IN WHICH THE WIND WAS BORN. THERE IS EVEN A HYMN ABOUT IT! THAT IS WHY WE DESIGNED THE BUILDING TO “LEAN AGAINST THE WIND”. Building costs: ORIGINALLY, IT WAS PLANNED TO PROVIDE MORE THAN €50 MILLION. WHEN THE PROJECT STARTED, ONLY HALF OF THIS AMOUNT WAS AVAILABLE: €28.5 MILLION FOR 17,000 M2 GROSS FLOOR AREA. THE BUDGET WAS NOT EXCEEDED. SAVINGS WERE NOT MADE EVERYWHERE, BUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BUILDING SERVICES REVEALS THAT THERE WAS A FINANCIAL CRISIS.

GREAT AMBER (GA) IS A CONCRETE SCULPTURE, ENVELOPED BY A TILTED GLAZED FAÇADE. THIS FAÇADE CONSISTS OF A WIDE FLAT STEEL STRUCTURE THAT CONNECTS WITH THE CONCRETE Technical design and uniqueness of facade: A MOVEABLE “STEEL-SWORD” HOLDS ON THE INNER GLASS PANE OF THE OUTER FACADE OF THE DIFFERENTLY INCLINED PANES. STAINLESS STEEL CLAMPS GUARANTEE THAT THE THREEFOLD WIND FORCE IS WITHHELD. THE OUTER GLAZING OF THE “GA” FACADE CONSISTS OF TWO SCREENS WITH 4 COLOR FILMS. THE FAÇADE SHINES IN DAYLIGHT FROM YELLOWISH-WHITE TO REDDISH BROWN, OR TAKES THE COLOR OF THE SKY. AT NIGHT “GA” IS A HUGE LUMINOUS BODY IN THE CITY, WHICH REVEALS ITS INTERIOR AND SHOWS THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPEN WITHIN. Acoustic and Daylight: GA HAS ONE OF THE VERY BEST ACOUSTICS FOR CLASSICAL CONCERTS. IT IS ONE OF THE FEW CONCERT HALLS WHERE IT IS POSSIBLE TO REHEARSE AND PLAY ILLUMINATED BY DAYLIGHT – THANKS TO 16 HIGHLY REFLECTIVE LIGHT TUBES ABOVE THE STAGE. Sustainability: DOUBLE FACADE AS A CLIMATE BUFFER. THE AIRSPACE BETWEEN THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL FACADE INCREASES OR DECREASES THE ACTUAL OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE. THE OVERPRESSURE PREVENTS SOILING ON THE FACADE FACADE INTERSPACE.