School of Music- Polytecnic Institute of Lisbon

The concept for the school was based on pushing the possibility of acoustic excellence to the limit, while at the same time convey the conviviality and extroversion particular to the practice of music. Given its location in a lively and noisy Lisbon suburb, these objectives led to the generation of a large grass-covered patio formed by a volume that gradually increases in height, protecting it from exterior noise. As the top of the building gently slopes upwards, the rooms grow successively higher, from smaller classrooms for instruments that produce weaker sounds such as the flute, to larger rooms meant for percussion instruments.

All the public spaces are on the lower floors, with the main space being the auditorium that is for teaching as well as performances. While the use of concrete was a simple way to obtain high levels of acoustic stability and insulation, the wooden shell of the auditorium and floors of the classrooms vibrate with the music created within.