Music Market Cultural Middle / Sibling Structure

Music Market Cultural Center / Sibling Architecture

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Text description provided by the architects. Music Market is the home for contemporary music in Australia to work. To stimulate the mixing of music and entrepreneurship, the hub combines Victoria’s peak music bodies, including Music Victoria, the Victorian Music Development Office and The Push, with co- working, educational and performance spaces.

Every space – song-writing cubicles, educational rooms, corridors, boardrooms and meeting nooks – is conceived as a performance space, allowing unexpected acts to erupt at any time. Operable walls and curtains throughout enhance this flexibility: for example, in the multipurpose room, a conference with breakout spaces can transform into a throbbing gig after-hours.

Using the aural principles of harmony, rhythm, texture and composition, an extensive arrangement of acoustic baffling has been integrated into the design, giving the spaces the acoustic quality of being in a recital hall while being designed specifically so not to feel like you are in one. The baffle system further supplements dynamic lighting, speakers and atmospheric screens that punctuate the space and allow each event a unique quality and spatial feel. LED scrolling signage is programmed to alert people of the different events taking place across the spaces during the day and night and can double as additional screening for performances. The dual projectors within the space allow for seminars or symphonies to occur.

A key component and consideration for the project is the Heritage Victoria listed Keith Haring mural that lies on the Johnson St Buildings eastern walls. An 8m heritage protection zone lies within the space and several mitigations have been implemented to ensure the long-term protection of the mural. New floors, walls and ceilings have been introduced within the zone that are all rubber isolated from the existing structure to ensure no vibration from music or people dancing impacts the murals delicate paint. Working closely with Arup through several rounds of testing and vibration monitoring the design team were able to effectively reduce the vibration impact to levels well below what they were without them. The arrangement of the physical spaces also, somewhat counter intuitively, places the stage within the 8m zone to direct the projection of music away from the mural and to allow the green room to act as a four-metre buffer space from the direct movement of people who maybe dancing on the stage or in the main audience spaces.

There is a solidarity in Melbourne’s music scene that is reflected in the materialisation of Music Market along with subtle design strategies, which supports people to perform at their best..