Patronaat

Haarlem
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Haarlem’s pop music venue consists of a foyer and a large auditorium stacked on top of a smaller one so that the program fits neatly into the designated space. An internal street for loading and unloading runs through the building and activity there is fully visible to visitors. This is appropriate for a cultural institution such as this where, other than in the theatre or concert hall, there is no strict separation between front and back stage. Here, a night out means more than just attending a concert and for this reason, emphasis is placed on the visual relationships and routes through the building. These facilitate a variety of encounters and contacts for a diverse public ranging from teenagers to old rockers. The toilets have a very prominent place in the building directly behind the glass facade to maximize the visibility of movement and liveliness inside the building, particularly in the evenings. Both the large auditorium (holding1000 visitors) and the small auditorium (for 300 visitors) have an asymmetrical balcony which enhances the acoustics.