Building for the Music College at Tho Gakuen, Tokyo

Abstract

This College covers an approximate surface area of 5,492.00 ms². It has a reinforced concrete structure, which is visible externally. The building consists of ground floor, three storeys and terrace, occupying a rectangular site. The completion of the project involves three stages. In the first stage the following installations and facilities will be provided. Lecture and rehearsal room for the orchestra; 20 rooms of A, B and C type, for private lessons; a study and a library with an adjoining lecture and reading room. The second and third stages will provide a director's room and offices, committee room, drawing room, reading and study rooms, entrance halls and classrooms, a large music room, 46 classrooms for private lessons, and private apartments for the director and professors. As this building will be solely devoted to musical activities, special attention had to be paid to its accoustical properties, both externally and internally. Thus the windows have been so designed, as regards size, shape and spacing, that they fulfill their function, without letting out any noise. Indoors, the walls and ceilings have been so modulated that they absorb and reflect noise in the most convenient manner. These modulations, and the type of materials employed have been selected to damp as much as possible the vibrations caused by the various musical instruments. All halls and rooms have been so designed that the noise level in them shall not surpass 25 phones, and a silencer has been fitted to all air ducts of the air conditioning system. Also, all rooms where musical instruments are to be played have been provided with double doors to reduce the transmission of sound. These have glass openings, and a red light indicates that the room is occupied and that no interruptions are welcomed. The external aspect of the building is that of strength and homogeneity. This, together with the high standard of the accoustical installations and other arrangements make the Music School at Tho Gakuen a most fitting establishment for the training of music students and philarmonic orchestras.