In juicy shades that punctuate its core spaces, the music classrooms of Wester Academy Beijing resonate aesthetically and acoustically. Beijing’s studio vapore, a practice that boasts a striking portfolio of super-chromatic interiors, explains its dynamic interior task as “a restoration structured by layout, noise and color.”
These three criteria directed the greatest moves in the 7,500-square-foot commission, which is part of a broader school upgrade. This first phase is attuned to the needs of music education– and seems destined to influence both its creative trainees and dedicated faculty.
The design arranges classrooms along a shared passage. Each room boasts dedicated practice spaces alone with boundary; through glass partitions, staff can supervise trainees in both the common area and these more intimate performing areas– and the mix of programs permits teaching, wedding rehearsal and solo practice to occur in one compact zone. The ease with which students can switch modes and teachers can toggle in between varied student requires informs a cleverly developed strategy.
Sound quality is vital in a project tailored to music education, so studio vapore took unique care to develop acoustic treatments in collaboration with acoustic engineers for everything from walls and ceilings to floors and integrated furnishings. Besides managing reverberations and sound transfer among rooms, the finishes they developed– felt panels, materials, and three-dimensional acoustic aspects– are also aesthetically promoting. Each space has its own character thanks to the eccentric wall modules, all in bright colors that could have popped out of a pack of Starburst candies. Color, naturally, forms another” arranging layer, “according to studio vapore. Red, orange and yellow specify the 3 different class for the school’s 3 age groups
. As a way-finding gadget, these exuberant tones work: From the shared passages, the thresholds of each class signals precisely where students need to be. And as a part of a larger organization, the school’s music location is quickly recognizable– in reality, branded– by its vibrant scheme from its really entrance. Picture at top of article by Vincent Wu. First 3 photos by Shawn Koh. Additional images by Vincent Wu.
Elizabeth Pagliacolo is the Editor of Azure publication and Executive Editor of Design Milk. Based in Toronto, she covers style at every scale, from the spoon to the city. Some of her preferred things, in no particular order, are Mulholland Drive (the movie and the location), burnt Basque cheesecake (preferably from Toronto’s Bar Raval), true crime podcasts (indiscriminately) and the noise of boots crunching down on fall leaves.