Musik- und Kulturzentrum Don Bosco Basel
The Don Bosco Church in Basel is converted into a cultural centre with a rehearsal space and a concert hall for chamber orchestras, chamber music and symphony orchestras. Internal window shutters combine visual blackout with variable acoustics: one side is acoustically absorbing, the other side optimized with cross-communication reflectors for improved on-stage hearing and communication between musicians on stage. The lower and upper parts of the shutters can be set independently, and the acoustics can thus be optimized for rehearsals, concerts and recordings and also adjusted to the size of the ensemble. The seats are designed as continuous wooden, sound-reflecting benches; additional absorption can be integrated in the form of seat upholstery and back cushions.
Information Sheet
Renovation/Transformation Musik- und Kulturzentrum Don Bosco Basel www.donboscobasel.ch
Location Basel, Switzerland.
Project Cost Not available.
Time Frame Project: 2017-2019. Construction phase: 2019-2020. Opening: October 2020.
Owner Verein Kulturzentrum Don Bosco.
Architect(s) Martin Pfister Architekten AG, Basel.
Seat Count Two rehearsal rooms plus the main rehearsal and concert hall. The Paul-Sacher-Saal (the old church) has a seating capacity of 480. The Heinz Holliger Auditorium has 50 seats.
Uses The Paul-Sacher-Hall is used for both rehearsals and concerts of orchestras, ensembles, soloists, choirs and bands.
Main Users Kammerorchester Basel, Basel Sinfonietta, Mädchenkantorei Basel as well as various the Ensembles of the Musikakademie Basel (University of Music FHNW).
Services Acoustic consultancy to the client and users, design collaboration with architect and Applied Acoustics concerning acoustic variability and optimisation of acoustic quality for all uses and configurations of the hall.
Team Eckhard Kahle, Kahle Acoustics, in collaboration with Applied Acoustics GmbH.
The 480-seat Paul Sacher Hall, perspective from the backstage, in concert configuration. Photo © Musik- und Kulturzentrum Don Bosco Basel
View from the back of the 480-seat Paul Sacher hall, showing the window shutters in the “open”, acoustically reflective configuration. For better on-stage hearing and communication between the musicians, the window shutters integrate vertically inclined “cross-communication reflectors”. Photo © Musik- und Kulturzentrum Don Bosco Basel
The 480-seat Paul Sacher Hall. The seats are designed as continuous wooden, sound-reflecting benches; additional absorption can be integrated in the form of seat upholstery and back cushions. Photo © Musik- und Kulturzentrum Don Bosco Basel
View from the back of the 480-seat Paul Sacher hall, showing the window shutters in the “open” configuration especially for rehearsals. Photo © Musik- und Kulturzentrum Don Bosco Basel
View from the parterre of the 480-seat Paul Sacher hall, showing the window shutters in the “open” configuration especially for rehearsals. Photo © Kahle Acoustics
The 480-seat Paul Sacher Hall is a rehearsal space and a concert hall for chamber orchestras, chamber music and symphony orchestras. Photo © Musik- und Kulturzentrum Don Bosco Baselo
Detail of a shutter. Its lower and upper parts can be set independently, so the acoustics can be optimized for rehearsals, concerts and recordings and also adjusted to the size of the ensemble. Photo © Kahle Acoustics