KonsertHuset Copenhagen: A beautiful case study of flame retardant Medite
2nd April 2009 - Medite FR
In January, the Copenhagen Concert Hall (KonsertHuset), designed by leading French architect Jean Nouvel, opened its doors. In this masterpiece of architecture and acoustics, Medite FR, a flame retardant fibreboard, plays a dual role, with the specialist medium density fibreboard (MDF) forming an essential part of the three underground recording studios and adjacent control room in terms of both fire safety and room acoustics.
Flame-retardant Medite (Medite FR) was developed for applications in which fire safety and construction regulations demand flame-retardant board with low smoke development: materials in Euro Class B or Class C. Medite FR can be used and finished like wood and offers the benefits of FSC certification, with the wood used in its production coming from sustainably-managed and certified forests in Ireland.
Initially, the concept behind fire safety for this project was a sprinkler system throughout the entire building. However, water damage by any cause would result in irreparable damage to the costly technical equipment. In determining the technical and acoustic details for the various rooms, project architect Michel Calzada looked for materials that would significantly contribute to fire safety and make sprinklers redundant.
Medite FR has been extensively tested and has proved to offer not only excellent flame retardant properties but also low smoke development. The material specifications, its performance and the application were ultimately approved by the fire safety authorities in Copenhagen. Medite FR was used in the three small underground concert halls, annex recording studios and their relevant control rooms.
Each year many people are killed in fires and many more suffer serious injuries. The number of victims can be drastically reduced when specifications demand the use of flame retardant MDF for wall and ceiling finishing and even in tailor-made furnishings. This product has been manufactured in Clonmel in Ireland since 1991 by Medite Europe Ltd., part of the panel products division of Coillte – the Irish forestry and forest products company. This prominent and innovative manufacturer produces a range of MDF special products and supports its claims of Medite FR's excellent performance with thorough research. Medite recommends that those responsible for fire safety in public buildings provide unambiguous material specifications in building projects. Medite Europe Ltd. developed a free DVD showing a realistic fire test that convincingly demonstrates the undeniable flame retardant properties of Medite FR as compared to the low effectiveness of a standard quality MDF*.
The Copenhagen Concert Hall
The Copenhagen Concert Hall provides first-class facilities for any kind of music, from small-scale jazz concerts in the foyer, chamber music, choral, rock and pop concerts in the three smaller concert halls, and guest appearances by bands and DJs, to concerts by its own symphonic orchestra. Jean Nouvel has put Copenhagen on the map by designing one of the top acoustic locations that have broken the traditional shoebox design normally reverted to for so many concert halls.
Despite the clean-cut and voluminous appearance of the building, the interior design is complex and diverse, spreading like a labyrinth under the great concert hall. The architectonic design reaches to the smallest details; the doors, the lighting, the ceilings and the stairways, always keeping the interests of the visitors and the performing artists in mind.
The foyer stretches over seven stories, from 2.5 m under to some 30 m above ground level. The belly of the great concert hall seems to float above the foyer, from which visitors are offered glimpses of the lower recording studios at various levels. The lowest foyer floor level is lower than the street, offering access to the three smaller studios/concert halls. The building's offices and other facilities are located on the north side of the concert hall.
In studio 1, the largest recording studio at the top of the KonsertHuset, the height reaches 24m. Immediately striking is the fact that Jean Nouvel has pursued perfect acoustics, opting for a design in which the audience surrounds the concert stage. This provides an intimate setting, with the members of the audience enjoying the warmth of the wood finishes while sitting relatively close to the performers. Fifteen terraced sections around the stage look like a terraced vineyard climbing the side of a mountain. This extraordinary design provides sublime acoustics, while still seating an audience of up to 1800.
Studio 2 seats 500. Tested combinations of reflecting panels and absorbing wall finishing were computer designed for certain types of music, facilitating rapid changes of genre, from chamber music to jazz, from choral to pop. The studio has a Hollywood-like appearance, with birch plywood panels decorated with graphic prints. These portray famous musicians, conductors and composers from the world of music and the history of Danish radio. The doors and frames for the acoustic panels are made of Medite FR.
Studio 3 is one of the smallest recording studios. The walls and ceiling are finished in black and white tones like the keys of a piano. An audience of 200 can attend recordings in this studio. The musicians and the audience come into close contact, and the studio is suitable for any type of performance because there is no fixed stage or seating arrangement for the audience.
For the acoustics, the walls and ceiling are equipped with black frames made of Medite FR covered with a black absorbing fabric. On the front, strips of black Medite FR are mounted on the fabric at pre-determined intervals and attached to the underlying Medite FR frame. Some of these acoustic – reflecting and absorbing – panels are mounted over hollow spaces in the wall structure with hinges. These can be opened and closed. When these panels are opened, the acoustic properties of the underlying niche are activated, where deep frames are finished with a light colored fabric and pine lattices.
Studio 4 offers virtually the same audience capacity as studio 3 and both studios were designed for rhythmic and choral music. Studio 4 is particularly striking with fiery red walls and ceilings, which are divided into a grid of square panels. Each panel consists of a Medite FR frame with four rotatable triangular elements, positioned either horizontally or vertically. The core of the triangular elements is Medite FR covered in aluminium sheeting. When closed, the four elements create a solid sounding board. The acoustics and sound in this studio can be defined by activating the triangular elements, turning the wall into a toothed surface in which the underlying wells finished with an acoustic fabric make an important contribution to the acoustics.
The control rooms for the studios are equipped for mixing sound recordings. The program of requirements was based on 5.1 channel surround production and a natural reverberation time that was neither too long nor too short. To prevent the nuisance of reflections and to obtain the proper sound mix in the control room, the walls are covered with acoustic panels with profiled grating that is an improvement on the method introduced by Dr. Schroeder in 1975. The selected Quadratic Residue Diffuser is a method studied by A.M. Legendre and C.F. Gauss. The range of the acoustic panel exceeds 1000 Hz. The study resulted in series of Medite FR strips with a sequence of varying widths defined to the smallest detail. In cross section, this provides teething in pre-determined dimensions.
The new Concert Hall provides both national and international concert venue for Denmark and a new architectural landmark for the capital. Jean Nouvel has put Copenhagen on a level with other cities around the world which provide the best modern acoustic and visual setting for concertgoers, with a unique and beautiful building.
For on-line technical information on the Medite MDF range of products and to order the free DVD on the flame retardant effect of FR, visit www.medite-europe.com.
