Problem Description:

This studio, taught by Prescott Muir and Verl Adams, was based around the design of an Institute for New Music, dedicated to music composition and the investigation of new performance technologies. The building was to be located in the heart of a burgeoning cultural district planned for downtown Salt Lake City. The students were asked to use the catalytic nature of architecture to not only revitalize the area economically, but to provide an intellectual and literal center for the district. As a part of the institute, the students were asked to design a concert hall, investigating the rich possibilities of a building within a building within an urban context. The studio visited comparable facilities in Los Angeles, including the Coburn School of Music, the Disney Concert Hall and Cal Arts. The course also included discussions with composers, musicians, acousticians and urban planners who have been charged with the actual creation of this cultural district.