Foster, Snøhetta, Gehry, and others Shortlisted for London Centre for Music
Victoria & Albert Museum by AL_A
Photo © Hufton + Crow
Amanda Levete, of AL_A
Photo © Michael Leckie
Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center at Columbia University
Photo © Iwan Baan
Elizabeth Diller, Founding Partner, Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Photo © Abelardo Morrell
Norman Foster, Foster + Partners
Photo © Vogue, Manolo Yllera
Gehry Partners’ New World Symphony
Photo © Iwan Baan
Frank Gehry
Photo © dbox
Renzo Piano Building Workshop’s Isabella Stewart Gartner Museum
Photo © Nic Lehoux, courtesy RPBW
Renzo Piano
Photo © Stefano Goldberg
Snøhetta, Norwegian National Opera
Image courtesy Snøhetta
Kjetil Thorsen, Founding Partner, Snøhetta
Image courtesy of Snøhetta
London’s Centre for Music project revealed last week the group of firms that has been shortlisted to design a state-of-the-art concert hall in the Square Mile, city’s financial district. The project is a collaboration between the Barbican (the Brutalist arts venue), the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, all of which are working on a business case funded by the City of London to establish the Centre for Music at the center of the city.
The firms were chosen through an open selection process launched in May, and will be tasked with designing a building that holds a world-class concert hall, education, training, and digital spaces, facilities for audiences and performers, and supporting commercial areas. This musical hub would act as the permanent home for the London Symphony Orchestra, in addition to hosting performances from the Barbican’s orchestras and ensembles, as well as touring artists and orchestras.
The shortlist of architects is:
- AL_A and Diamond Schmitt Architects
- Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Sheppard Robson
- Foster + Partners
- Gehry Partners and Arup
- Renzo Piano Building Workshop
- Snøhetta
Catherine McGuinness, Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation, said that the announcement “brings everyone a step closer towards one of the most widely anticipated and significant developments in the Square Mile’s vibrant cultural hub.”
“The strength of this international shortlist really demonstrates the excitement around this potentially transformative cultural project,” added a group of representatives from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
These firms will receive an invitation to tender requesting a response to the brief, and a fee proposal, among other requirements. After being judged by a panel of professionals in the arts and education field, one design will be selected. The business case will be completed next December.
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