Cass De Muaica OMA

- concert hall in Porto Portugal
- architect Rem Koolhaas
- 2001, completely finished by 2005
- built in main center of the city
- bold look
- huge open spaces (sound)
- huge windows and view points
- reflets the architect style
- Pritzker Prize 2000
- roof terrace for city views
- 2 massive halls with the voids in the center of them having a variety of other spaces

My first time looking at this space with no knowledge of what it is or its attended use I thought it was a massive structure and somewhat of an eyesore.  I still think that from the outside it looks simple and "block" figured.  But in reality the architecture and the engineering behind this space is vast.  The interior speaks for its own in the following pictures, and in all has a variety of amazing interior spaces to make up this area as a whole.  I believe that because its attended use and function is an orchestra hall that the architecture is completely catered towards the acoustics of the interior and the viewing points.  This would have been particularly difficult because Rem would have had to not only deal with blocking out the exterior noises (right in the busy center of the city) but also make the interior able to carry the sounds throughout the space and have clear and great acoustics.  The different spaces within seem to be all individual but also all work together and centered around the main concert halls and the true function of the structure; all co-existing and brought together by the voids and passages within.  The main material is made up of concrete and glass, but in each room interior material varies. I think the  material gives directionality and function to each space and transitioning from one space to another.