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Arup Designed Arts Centre Opens in Izmir, Turkey
On 3rd March 2009, the newly completed Ahmed Adnan Saygun Arts Centre in Izmir, Turkey, designed by Arup and Tozkoparan Architects, opened its doors to the public for the opening performance of the 16th European Jazz Festival. Grammy award winning American jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater was accompanied by the Istanbul Big Band to critical acclaim.
Arup Acoustics and a multidisciplinary engineering team from Arup worked closely with Turkey based Tozkoparan Architects to deliver the new Centre. The acoustics and venue planning were an integrated part of the design from the outset with the goal of providing a building with world-class facilities within affordable budgets.
The new arts centre, known as AASSM, is named after Turkish composer and musicologist Ahmed Adnan Saygun, who died in 1991. The Centre incorporates an 1100 seat concert hall, a 300 seat recital hall as well as visual art gallery spaces. The concert hall will host regular concerts by the Izmir State Symphony Orchestra as well as performers from all over the world. Saygun's music was performed during test concerts in December 2008 as well as a performance by Turkish pianist Gulsin Onay, a student of Saygun.
The concert hall allows for flexibility in performance arrangement by means of a platform lift which can be used to extend the performance area, or extend the seating capacity of the stalls where a large performance area is not required. The lift can also be lowered to create an orchestra pit to facilitate the performance of ‘concert opera'. Remotely operated acoustic banners and drapes reduce reverberation, allowing the hall to host jazz, spoken word and amplified performances. Upstage panels can be rotated to be sound reflecting or absorbing depending on the performance type.
Between its teams in the UK and Istanbul, Arup provided integrated services in venue planning, planning, acoustics, stage engineering, sound and communications, concert and working light systems, daylight advice in gallery spaces, structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing services.
11th March 2009
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