Overview
Allied Works Architecture (AWA) was awarded the commission for the design of the National Music Centre’s (NMC) new home, Studio Bell, in 2009, following an international design competition and search. Completed in October 2016, the building is the first facility of its kind in North America—at once a performance hall, recording facility, broadcast studio, live music venue and museum—and Allied Works’ most ambitious project to date. The state-of-the-art cultural center features interactive exhibition, education, and performance spaces, and incorporates and revitalizes the neighboring historic 1905 King Edward Hotel, the former home to the legendary blues club.
Rising in nine interlocking towers, clad in custom-glazed terra cotta tile, Studio Bell references acoustic vessels in its subtly curved design. The building is comprised of two main structural systems—the first forms the interlocking arches that span the lobby on the ground level, the second suspends the primary performance space and bridges the building’s towers from above. Walkways and stairs unite the two systems throughout Studio Bell’s five stories, where an interplay of glazed tile reflects and amplifies light and sound.
Our team collaborated on the interior and exterior of the project, providing over 50 workers throughout the duration of the building for some of the major trades and contractors including Alpine, Midwest Drywall, Delajo/Cana Construction.
Gallery
