The new campus of the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz was designed by plus3 architects. After several years of construction, the building is now ready to open. The building combines the hitherto dispersed functions of the academy in a single complex, and boasts more than a hundred classrooms, extensive teaching facilities, a recording studio and four concert halls with top-level engineering and acoustic solutions.
Architecture embedded in the history of the venue
The campus was built on the site of a former brickworks, which for years remained unused despite its proximity to the city centre. The project transformed a forgotten part of the city into the closure of the axis of the so-called Music Quarter, integrating the philharmonic hall, music school, theatre and university rector’s office into one composition. The horizontal volume of the building, despite its volume exceeding 160,000 cubic metres, was designed so that its scale harmonises with its surroundings. On the lake and park side, the building retains a low roofline; the administrative parts and dormitories, which are withdrawn higher, soften the proportions over the water and create a space with a human scale. An outdoor stage and recreational squares have been created on the lakeside to integrate the campus with the public green space.
Matter and rhythm of the façade
The façade of the campus is a rhythmic duet of glass and brick. Glazed planes open up the interiors to views of the lake and park and let in natural light, while vertical ceramic strips and hand-formed brick in a light grey shade introduce an element of three-dimensionality. The designers deliberately referenced the history of the site: the brick surface is a symbolic tribute to the former brickworks, and also has a functional function as a diffusing element. The variation in texture and the arrangement of the fired bricks generates chiaroscuro effects and undulating reflections, which the architect identifies with sound vibrations – the façade aesthetic thus becomes a direct commentary on the building’s function.
Acoustic perfection and technology at the service of music
The campus had to reconcile the consolidation of functions with the need to ensure the highest acoustic standards. The four concert halls – symphony, opera, chamber and organ – were designed according to the box-in-box principle, which provides acoustic isolation through the flexible suspension of the internal ‘boxes’ and the use of three-layer walls, floating floors and suspended ceilings. Heavy rubber mats and mineral wool provide additional attenuation, while double acoustic doors and separate ventilation systems for the concert and recording halls eliminate crosstalk through air ducts.
The ventilation has been fine-tuned for minimal noise: the ducts are fitted with silencers, expansion chambers and flexible ducting, and the air delivery system under the audience seats operates without emitting audible noise. In the organ room, the brick cradle vault and oak floor contribute to a natural reverberation similar to sacred architecture, creating a space ideal for organ performance.
The campus has been designed in accordance with sustainable building principles. Photovoltaic installations and energy storage, as well as ground-source heat pumps, minimise the need for external energy sources, and in extreme conditions the building only uses the district heating network. By completely dispensing with gravity ventilation and opening windows, the building’s microclimate is stable: heat recovery air handling units guarantee constant temperature and humidity, which is crucial for the condition of the wood instruments and the comfort of the singers. Air conditioning is only used where excess heat is generated; energy recovery from these systems feeds the garages and passageways, among other things.
Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz. New chapter
The campus at 1 Prof. Godziszewskiego Street ends the period of dispersion and facilitates the task of educating young musicians. Bringing all activities together under one roof fosters interdepartmental exchange, facilitates didactic cooperation and improves the quality of learning and creative work conditions. The project has contributed to the revitalisation of a neglected area and strengthened the identity of the Music Quarter as the cultural centre of Bydgoszcz.
project: plus3 architekci
team: Katarzyna Głażewska, Krzysztof Bagiński, Grażyna Woźniak-Głażewska , Jadwiga Trzeciakowska , Patryk Rosiński, Katarzyna Najberg
photography: Adam Kujawski
source: press materials
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