1We've been discussing the factors the architect has to consider when designing domestic buildings.
2I'm going to move on now to consider the design of public buildings,
3and I'll illustrate this by referring to the new Taylor Concert Hall that's recently been completed here in the city.
4So, as with a domestic building,
5when designing a public building, an architect needs to consider the function of the building -
6for example, is it to be used primarily for entertainment, or for education, or for administration?
7The second thing the architect needs to think about is the context of the building,
8this includes its physical location obviously,
9but it also includes the social meaning of the building:
10how it relates to the people it's built for.
11And finally, for important public buildings,
12the architect may also be looking for a central symbolic idea on which to base the design,
13a sort of metaphor for the building and the way in which it is used.
14Let's look at the new Taylor Concert Hall in relation to these ideas.
15The location chosen was a site in a run-down district that has been ignored in previous redevelopment plans.
16It was occupied by a factory that had been empty for some years.
17The whole area was some distance from the high-rise office blocks of the central business district and shopping centre,
18but it was only one kilometre from the ring road.
19The site itself was bordered to the north by a canal
20which had once been used by boats bringing in raw materials when the area was used for manufacturing.
21The architect chosen for the project was Tom Harrison.
22He found the main design challenge was the location of the site in an area that had no neighbouring buildings of any importance.
23To reflect the fact that the significance of the building in this quite run-down location was as yet unknown,
24he decided to create a building centred around the idea of a mystery -
25something whose meaning still has to be discovered.
26So how was this reflected in the design of the building?
27Well, Harrison decided to create pedestrian access to the building
28and to make use of the presence of water on the site.
29As people approach the entrance, they therefore have to cross over a bridge.
30He wanted to give people a feeling of suspense
31as they see the building first from a distance, and then close-up,
32and the initial impression he wanted to create from the shape of the building as a whole was that of a box.
33The first side that people see, the southern wall, is just a high, flat wall uninterrupted by any windows.
34This might sound off-putting,
35but it supports Harrison's concept of the building -
36that the person approaching is intrigued and wonders what will be inside.
37And this flat wall also has another purpose.
38At night-time, projectors are switched on and it functions as a huge screen,
39onto which images are projected.
40The auditorium itself seats 1500 people.
41The floor's supported by ten massive pads.
42These are constructed from rubber,
43and so are able to absorb any vibrations from outside
44and prevent them from affecting the auditorium.
45The walls are made of several layers of honey-coloured wood,
46all sourced from local beech trees.
47In order to improve the acoustic properties of the auditorium and to amplify the sound,
48they are not straight, they are curved.
49The acoustics are also adjustable according to the size of orchestra and the type of music being played.
50In order to achieve this, there are nine movable panels in the ceiling above the orchestra
51which are all individually motorized,
52and the walls also have curtains which can be opened or closed to change the acoustics.
53The reaction of the public to the new building has generally been positive.
54However, the evaluation of some critics has been less enthusiastic.
55In spite of Harrison's efforts to use local materials,
56they criticise the style of the design as being international rather than local,
57and say it doesn't reflect features of the landscape or society for which it is built.