NATIONAL POLISH RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IN KATOWICE
ARCHITECTURE KONIOR STUDIO
2013 KATOWICE

The new seat of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, completed in October 2014, is one of the most modern facilities of its kind in Europe. The building's wide-ranging functional programme covers all aspects of the musicians' work, from stage performances and recordings to the social and recreational sphere. The building includes two concert halls: a large concert hall for 1,800 listeners and a chamber music hall for 300 people. Specific and very precise acoustic requirements applied to all parts of the construction and equipment of both halls, including the general lighting fixtures.

The main acoustic requirements for the luminaires in the concert hall concerned the loudness of their operation and the precision of their manufacture - the absence of vibrations caused by the luminaire elements as well as occurring as a reaction to external sounds. However, the most difficult condition to meet was the adaptation of the luminaires, fixed in the acoustic ceiling of the hall, to its unusual construction. This was further complicated by its complex curvilinear shape and the fact that the luminaires could only be fitted from above. These facts had a significant impact on the construction of the luminaires and necessitated the creation of individual luminaire designs, which were created at the interface between four trades: architect, acoustician, lighting designer, and luminaire manufacturer.