| Situation: | Buñol, Valencia. |
| Promoter: | INSTRUCTIONAL MUSICAL CENTER “LA ARMONICA” OF BUÑOL |
| Year | 1997 |
| Area | 1.725 m2 |
| Intervention DYS | Advice prior to acquisition of plot Project Construction Management Project Management Interior design |
AVEA PRIZE 1997 OF RENOVATION
IBECORP PRIZE 1998 RENOVATION AND URBAN LANDSCAPES
The Palace of Music is located in the People’s Square of Buñol, in front of the City Hall and the Church. It is a building from the beginning of the century, which for its architectural and social interest is protected by Planning, appearing in the Buñol Subsidiary Rules Catalog. From its origins the building was conceived as an Auditorium, later adapting to allow its functioning as a Cinema.
Its conservation status at the time of the intervention was very precarious, with significant deficiencies in terms of safety; its protection system, both active and passive, totally failed to meet the minimum standards required in terms of detection and fireproofing. The same happened with its electrical installation, completely obsolete and without adequate protection.
All this, together with its capacity, well above its evacuation possibilities, justified the speed of the intervention.
This intervention carried out in the building, raises two priority objectives: the improvement of the security conditions of the premises and the improvement of its technical and acoustic conditions.
To improve the security conditions, in addition to adapting the building to the current regulations, the capacity of the room is reduced. This supposes the elimination of the initial patio of seats, located under the slope of the People’s Square, taking advantage of this space to excavate a semi-basement, that is destined to lodge part of the new facilities, as well as to store the expensive instrumental material that the society has.
The first amphitheater is extended, through the construction of a new structure from the interior of the building, to become the new stalls, now with direct access from the main hall.
The second amphitheater is also subject to remodeling although
It maintains its slope and its access from the first floor lobby.
Regarding the improvement of the technical conditions of the premises, it is worth highlighting the following:
The acoustics of the room are significantly improved, obtaining a clean and uniform sound in all its points, even on the stage, which allows the musicians to perceive the sound of the ensemble of instruments during the performance.
For this, it has counted on the collaboration of the Department of Applied Physics of the Polytechnic University of Valencia.
The room is conditioned and equipped with the necessary facilities to allow its use as a recording room.
The latest generation DOLBY PROLOGIC system is equipped with projection systems.
The complex installation of lighting technology of the premises is assisted by a programmed drive system with which, in a gradual and automated way, the different projected lighting scenes are realized.
In the aesthetic aspect it should be noted that the original facade of the building has been maintained, recovering the real color of the bricks, cleaning the stone and eliminating the improper elements.
Inside the room, the false ceiling of the room was kept, as well as the mural that decorates it, located in front of the stage and which was conveniently restored.
Main hall. View from the access to Auditorium
Main hall. View from the right side
First floor hall. View towards the left side staircase
First floor hall. View towards the left side staircase
First floor hall. Detail of the right lateral access to the amphitheater
General view of the Hall and the Stage from the Amphitheater. The side walls and the roof deflector are observed, in the Stage, to improve its acoustics. The restored painting of the false ceiling of the room is also observed
View of the right side of the Hall from the Amphitheater.
The side coverings of the Room are designed to improve the acoustics of the spectators. In the Stage, the stone side panels with irregular texture and the wooden deflector of the ceilings, besides improving the acoustics of the Room, allow the musicians to perceive the sound of their notes.
View of the left side of the Hall and the Stage from the Amphitheater. The design of the left side wall of the Stage tries to highlight the emergency exit that the Room has in that side. In the upper part there is a recording booth, which has a glazed recess that allows visual control of the stage.
Detail of the parapet of the amphitheater, seen from the row of seats
Its design combines the visibility of the first rows of the Amphitheater, maintaining the safety height, as well as the improvement of the acoustic conditions of the Hall.
Detail of the parapet seen from the Amphitheater
Aerial view of the site
Main Hall. View of the access doors to the old Amphitheater (now row of seats)
Main hall during the debris works
State of the original row of seats during the emptying. View of the enclosure of the back facade and the original walls
State of the old row of seats during the emptying.
View of the second amphitheater after the demolition of the first
View of the emptying of the old row of seats, from the second amphitheater
View of the process of construction of the retaining walls by zones, prior to the emptying for the construction of the new basement
Lower view of the structure of the new Amphitheater
Detail of carrying out of the row of seats of the new Amphitheater
General view of the new Row of Seats and of the Stage, after the execution of the corresponding slabs
View of the Amphitheater after the row of seats have been carried out
General view of the Auditorium while side walls are being carried out and the renovation of the ceiling
Detail of the assembly of the metal structure of the side walls of the stage, the roof baffle and the projection screen
Detail of the auxiliary metal structure of the right face of the stage
Detail of the auxiliary metallic structure of the left face of the stage, with the recess for the emergency exit and the glazing of the recording room
