Central Michigan University's $21 million music building contains its share of "space age" concepts and materials.
But when designers wanted to achieve maximum soundproofing between rooms, they turned to more basic materials. The walls separating faculty studios, for example, are filled with sand, and other building sections are separated by something even more ordinary - air.
While people admire the building's clean design lines and innovative materials, students and faculty prefer to focus on the wonderful space the structure provides for teaching, practice, rehearsal and performance. The 119,000-square-foot facility offers students and faculty the resources they need to immerse themselves in a creative music-making environment. These resources include sophisticated computer and electronic labs, exceptional rehearsal and performance acoustics, and an abundance of space for rehearsal and performance.
The Music Facility Includes:
- a 500-seat recital hall featuring surround-sound and state- of-the-art recording and broadcasting systems.
- a three-manual organ built by Casavant Frères of St.
Hyacinthe, Québec. The organ consists of 61 ranks for a total of 3,448 pipes ranging from 16 feet to three-quarters of an inch.
- Chamichian Hall, a 110-seat chamber music performance hall.
*three rehearsal halls large enough to accommodate ensembles of up to 300 performers.
- three rehearsal halls large enough to accommodate ensembles of up to 300 performers.
- 35 faculty studios and 79 acoustically designed and soundproofed student practice rooms.
- a music resource center with
21,000 recordings and specialized labs for listening, instruction and music research.
- CD recording labs with high-tech mixing and editing capabilities.
- composition and technology labs equipped with computers, synthesizers and music software for composition, instruction and research.
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Award-Winning Building
The Music Building, which is one of the finest in the Midwest, has been recognized for its architectural design. The facility received the Engineering Society's 1999 Outstanding Achievement Award for Building Design and Construction and the American Institute of Architects' 1998 Detroit Honor Award.
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