Zaha Hadid Architects to Build Concert Hall in Russia

Yekaterinburg has also become a center of culture and art; in 2015 it was referred to as "Russia's Next Capital of Culture." The city of 1.5 million is home to the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra, which has performed in more than twenty countries. Currently the orchestra plays in the existing Sverdlovsk Philharmonic building, which dates to 1936, the year of the orchestra's formation. The new concert hall will meet the increased demand for the orchestra's concerts and also provide a public plaza for Yekaterinburg.

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) describes their winning design as "echoing the physical aspects of sound waves." Using the "properties of musical sound resonance" to create "wave vibrations in a continuous smooth surface," the design defines spaces for a 1,600-seat Concert Hall, a 400-seat Chamber Music Hall, and a lobby that is envisioned as an enclosed urban square.

ZHA's recognizable smooth curves enable the building to transition between existing neighboring buildings and the Weiner Gardens. "The new building does not impose upon the adjacent Weiner Gardens," per ZHA, "but seamlessly merges with the natural landscape; opening its transparent glass facade to offer views of the renovated gardens that includes an amphitheatre for outdoor performances throughout the summer."

ZHA bested 46 design teams that submitted proposals for the competition organized by the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure Development of the Sverdlovsk Region with the assistance of the charitable foundation for support of the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra.