https://www.architecturalrecord.com/rss/2003-bureau-v en-us A graffiti-covered factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, may not seem the most likely of venues for classical music.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11370 Tue, 01 Dec 2015 10:16:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/11370-national-sawdust National Sawdust From a balcony, concertgoers can gaze down into the performance hall, which, at capacity, can accommodate 350 people. This volume is wrapped in a riotous array of laser-cut aluminum acoustic panels  Photo © David Andrako National Sawdust On opening night, Canadian throat singer Tanya Tagaq performed a tempestuous set with Wilco’s Glenn Kotche. Photo © floto + warner/otto National Sawdust Outside, existing graffiti on National Sawdust’s brick facade was embellished by São Paulo and Brooklyn-based artists Assume Vivid Astro Focus. Photo © floto + warner/otto National Sawdust The faceted openings for the box office and bar are lined in bronze. Photo © floto + warner/otto National Sawdust A custom neon-and-marble light fixture by Bureau V hangs above a chasmic void between the concert hall and service areas. Photo © floto + warner/otto National Sawdust Gambian musician and composer Foday Musa Suso plays the kora, a 21-stringed instrument, on opening night. Photo © David Andrako National Sawdust The white maple performance floor can be easily reconfigured through a series of manually lifted hydraulic floor panels. One such section accommodates National Sawdust’s Bösendorfer piano. When flat, the floor puts audience members face-to-face with performers.  Photo © David Andrako National Sawdust Image courtesy Bureau V National Sawdust Image courtesy Bureau V