Boston Symphony Orchestra
Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood

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Project

Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood

Client

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Location

Lenox, MA

Completion

1994

Size

36,200 GSF

Category

The Arts, Featured Projects

A ROOM FOR MUSIC

Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood is a 1200-seat concert hall marked by a strong wood interior and surrounding balconies. In addition to serving as summer home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the building houses the Tanglewood Music Center’s fellowship program for 160 leading young musicians. Performances range from full symphony orchestras to recitalists. The resulting work, which balances the intensity of the music making experience with the informal sylvan landscape of its setting, is acclaimed for its quality in both the music and the architectural presses.

Ozawa was named “2nd Best American Concert Hall built in the last 50 Years” and “13th Best Concert Hall in the World” by Leo Beranek’s Concert Halls and Opera Houses.

[It] is precisely what a concert hall should be: a resonant, warm space that comes to life with sound.

Edward Rothstein, Music Critic

IMMERSED IN LANDSCAPE

A large barn door at the rear of the hall opens the concert hall to the lawn, providing direct views of the stage from the outside and additional seating for 2,000 listeners. Ambient and direct amplification replicate the sound from within the hall for the outdoor audience.

INTIMACY AND WARMTH

Ozawa Hall creates a sense of warmth with its wood balconies, wood seats, and wood floor. When filled, the hall establishes a sense of intimacy where the audience members, facing each other, surround the musicians.

Awards + Recognition

2000 National AIA Interior Architecture Honor Award

1995 National AIA Architecture Honor Award

2000 BSA/IIDA/ASID Interior Architecture Honor Award

1996 American Wood Council Wood Design Merit Award

1995 Interiors Magazine Best in Recreation and Entertainment Design

1995 Architectural Woodwork Institute Award of Excellence

1995 Brick Institute of America Brick in Architecture Award

1995 International Association of Lighting Designers Lighting Design Citation

1995 National Association of Home Builders Grand Award

1995 USITT Architecture Honor Award

1994 BSA Design Excellence Honor Award

1994 AIA New England Architecture Honor Award

Architecture Magazine, "Decorated Shed," Dec 1, 1994.

The Boston Globe Magazine, "Bill Rawn's Room for Music," Katharine Whittemore, July 25, 1994.

The New York Times, "Changed But the Same," Edward Rothstein, July 9, 1994.

Concert Halls and Opera Houses, Leo Baranek, 1995

The Atlantic Monthly, "Sounds as Good as it Looks," Witold Rybczynski, June 1 1996.

New York Magazine, "Splendor in the Grass," Peter G. Davis, Jul 25, 1994.

Boston Sunday Globe, "Seiji Ozawa Hall is an integral part of Tanglewood," Richard Dryer, Aug 1, 2004.

Project Consultants

Structural Engineer | LeMessurier Consultants, Inc.

Mechanical / Electrical Engineer | TMP Consulting Engineers, Inc. and Lottero + Mason Associates, Inc.

Civil Engineer | Foresight Land Services

Landscape Architect | Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.

Lighting Consultant | Douglas Baker

Theater Consultant | Theatre Projects Consultants, Inc.

Acoustical Engineer | Kirkegaard Associates

Photography | Robert Benson + Steve Rosenthal + Hilary Scott

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