Published: 16 Nov 2015
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) has relocated to its new, purpose-built facility in Glasgow’s City Centre.
The construction of a new purpose-built rehearsal and recording facility for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) and a new 600 seat music venue for Glasgow was completed in October. Designed by Glasgow City Council’s in-house team of architects and led by Kerr Robertson, who was responsible for city projects such as the refurbishment of much lauded Glasgow’s City Halls, and world-renowned acoustic specialists ARUP, the new home for Scotland’s national symphony orchestra now provides a “world class” venue for the Orchestra, increased scope and flexibility for the organisation’s education and learning programmes, and a new mid-sized auditorium for the city’s music programme.
The new auditorium at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall adjacent to the RSNO Centre exhibits a number of design features implemented to optimise the acoustic qualities of the venue, for both rehearsal and performance situations. Fixed sound absorption is distributed throughout the hall, controlling excessive loudness but also reduces reverberance. The large scale (e.g. risers, ceiling and upper wall elements) and small scale (e.g. lower side walls) articulation throughout the hall scatters sound at different frequencies, providing an even sound and avoiding harsh reflections.
In rehearsal mode and full orchestral performance mode the side balconies fold up against the walls, realising the maximum available hall volume and floor space for the Orchestra. For recitals the balconies are deployed, narrowing the room, providing desirable lateral sound reflections to listeners, increasing acoustical intimacy and clarity. They also increase theatricality and visual intimacy, with the audience wrapped around the performers, and can be used artistically for camera positions, video screens and surround sound loudspeakers.
Adjustable acoustic banners vary the sound absorption in the space, depending on the use and repertoire. Fully retracting the banners results in maximum reverberance (and loudness), ideal for chamber recitals. Partially deployed banners controls the loudness, for instance in orchestral rehearsal situations, while retaining suitable reverberance. For amplified music a well-controlled acoustic is necessary, free from echoes, which is achieved by exposing the maximum banner area.
Overhead reflectors, also adjustable, provide useful reflections to support self and mutual hearing for musicians. R Reflections from the ceiling – which needs to be high to provide the volume necessary for reverberance without excessive loudness - arrive too late and too weak for early support and timing. In addition to their benefit to the Orchestra, the reflectors also provide useful reflections to the audience in performance mode. Their heights can be adjusted to suit the use/repertoire.
The construction has been supported with funding from Scottish Government and Creative Scotland, corporate sponsors, trusts and foundations, and individual donors, and Glasgow City Council as the new auditorium will be a, shared, joint use facility managed by Glasgow Life.
The plans for the new wing – situated in the former service yard of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall – include the instillation of dedicated state-of-the-art learning and education facilities, with flexible sensory areas, and integrated digital technologies for recording, composing, broadcasting music, and connecting with communities across Scotland and further afield.
The Orchestra’s new home is also equipped with enhanced foyer spaces for audiences and visitors, a music library for the Orchestra’s extensive archive that will ensure access to scores for research, practice and performance, private practice and small ensemble rehearsal rooms, and administrative and technical offices for the Orchestra and stores for its equipment.
High on the list of priorities during the planning and construction of the new building were defining the highest possible ecological credentials. From opting for a brownfield site to selecting state-of-the-art lighting system (supplied by AC Lighting) which runs off a fraction of the power of current used by concert lighting configurations, the new centre can boast one of the best green ratings of any rehearsal concert venue in the UK.
RSNO Chief Executive Dr Krishna Thiagarajan: “For the RSNO the new home serves as a platform for Scotland’s national orchestra to efficiently and effectively build its reputation and increase its capacity to connect with communities across Scotland. The RSNO has met its financial commitment to construct its new home and together with investment from the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council and welcome contribution from Creative Scotland the project team has met the complex challenges of the build to provide a world class music facility. Together we have delivered a bespoke rehearsal and recording space, exceptional education and learning facilities and a valuable recital venue, providing a key addition to the country’s cultural venues.”
Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop:"Five years ago, when I visited the Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s rehearsal space in Henry Wood Hall, I made a commitment to the orchestra musicians that I would do what I could as Cabinet Secretary to help ensure they could move to a building fit for their talent and needs. With support from the Scottish Government, and from partners and donors, that commitment has been realised.
“The RSNO must be commended for its outstanding work in producing engaging learning programmes which have drawn in more than 270, 000 people locally, nationally and internationally. This new state-of-the-art operational base will allow the RSNO to go even further thanks to a world class rehearsal space and new digital connectivity. The building also provides Glasgow with a purpose-built music venue to enhance the city’s reputation as UNESCO City of Music.”
Iain Munro, Director of Creative Development at Creative Scotland: “This is an incredibly exciting move for the RSNO that will further enhance their reputation as a world renowned orchestra. The outstanding rehearsal space will help to attract and retain high quality musicians, conductors and soloists; the intimate concert space will engage and inspire audiences and the state-of-the-art education and learning spaces will help to foster future generations of talented musicians. Creative Scotland is proud to be supporting this world class music facility and I’m very much looking forward to enjoying and engaging with the orchestra in their new home.”
Councillor Archie Graham, Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow Life:
“Glasgow is a fantastic city for music lovers, for residents and visitors. In the 25th anniversary year of Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the New Auditorium marks a new chapter in the history of this much loved venue and will help us continue to build on our cultural heritage.
“Working with partners we are creating opportunities for even more people to enjoy and play a integral part in the cultural life of the city – a commitment we are passionate about.
“Audiences are now enjoying a range of outstanding performances in the New Auditorium. With fun children’s shows this December and Celtic Connection concerts in January among those to come, we can all look forwards to many great creative opportunities in the future.”
ENDS
Photo credit Mark Hamilton.
For further information, pictures or to request media access, please contact Daniel Pollitt, RSNO Communications Manager on 0141 225 3571, 07970 009369, Email: Daniel.Pollitt@rsno.org.uk
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company became the Scottish National Orchestra in 1950, and was awarded Royal Patronage in 1977.
Throughout its history, the Orchestra has played an integral part in Scotland’s musical life, including performing at the opening ceremony of the Scottish Parliament building in 2004. Many renowned conductors have contributed to its success, including George Szell, Sir John Barbirolli, Walter Susskind, Sir Alexander Gibson, Neeme Järvi, Walter Weller, Alexander Lazarev and Stéphane Denève.
In 2012 the RSNO welcomed British-Canadian musician and conductor Peter Oundjian as its latest Music Director and Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård as Principal Guest Conductor. 2012 also saw the appointments of two new Leaders, James Clark and Maya Iwabuchi.
The RSNO performs across Scotland, including concerts in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Perth and Inverness. The Orchestra appears regularly at the Edinburgh International Festival and at the BBC Proms at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Recent appearances in England have included performances at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, Leeds Town Hall, The Sage, Gateshead and at The Sands Centre, Carlisle. In 2012 it undertook a week-long residency in Shetland as part of the Cultural Olympiad, providing the most northerly UK cultural activity leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games. The RSNO regularly appears at the St Magnus Festival, Orkney, and has made recent tours to France, Germany, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Serbia. In December 2012 and January 2013 the Orchestra undertook its first mainland Asia visit with a hugely successful tour of China with Peter Oundjian.
The Orchestra is joined for choral performances by the RSNO Chorus, directed by Gregory Batsleer. The RSNO Chorus evolved from a choir formed in 1843 to sing the first full performance of Handel’s Messiah in Scotland. Today, the RSNO Chorus is one of the most distinguished large symphonic choruses in Britain, with a membership of around 160. The Chorus has performed nearly every work in the standard choral repertoire along with contemporary works by renowned composers, including John Adams, Magnus Lindberg, Howard Shore and James MacMillan.
The acclaimed RSNO Junior Chorus, formed in 1978 by Jean Kidd, also performs regularly alongside the Orchestra. Since 1994 it has been directed by popular Chorus Director, Christopher Bell, and has expanded its membership to over 400, with members aged from seven to eighteen. It has built up a considerable reputation singing under some of the world’s most distinguished conductors and appearing on radio and television.
The RSNO has a worldwide reputation for the quality of its recordings, receiving two Diapason d’Or de l’année awards for Symphonic Music (Denève/Roussel 2007; Denève/Debussy 2012) and eight GRAMMY Awards nominations over the last decade. Over 200 releases are available, including the complete symphonies of Sibelius (Gibson), Prokofiev (Järvi), Glazunov (Serebrier), Nielsen and Martinů (Thomson), Roussel (Denève) and the major orchestral works of Debussy (Denève).
The RSNO’s Learning and Engagement team deliver progressive participatory music-making activities across Scotland, from Selkirk to Shetland, working with all ages and abilities. With a programme of activity available for new-borns and onwards, the team are committed to delivering the highest quality workshops as well as nurturing and developing new talent. From schools and nursery concerts, to community workshops and annual residencies during which the Orchestra embeds itself at the centre of Scottish communities, the team connects the Orchestra, its music and musicians with the people of Scotland.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. For further information about Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com. Follow us@creativescots and www.facebook.com/CreativeScotland
