The City of London Corporation has announced that New York-based architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) will design "a world-class concert hall" for the London Symphony Orchestra and Guildhall School of Music & Drama, which is known as the Centre for Music London.

Defeating top international offices in the shortlist including Gehry Partners -LLP,  AL_A, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Foster+Partners and Snøhetta, Diller Scofidio + Renfro has been selected to lead the project with UK-based architecture firm Sheppard Robson. 

The new concert hall, which is being led by the Barbican - a world-class arts and learning organisation, will be a new home for the London Symphony Orchestra directed by Sir Simon Rattle, Music Director of London Symphony Orchestra. Planned as a detailed business case for a world-class concert hall, the landmark building will integrate the digital age and educational facilities in the same venue to bring music-making to the widest possible audience. 

The new music venue will also host performances from the Barbican’s family of Associate orchestras and ensembles, as well as performances from touring artists and orchestras from across the UK and the world across a range of genres. 

The new concert hall, which is being led by the Barbican - a world-class arts and learning organisation, will be a new home for the London Symphony Orchestra. Image © Alamy Stock Photo

"The preferred site for the Centre for Music, which the City of London Corporation has agreed in principle to make available, is currently occupied by the Museum of London, and will become available when the Museum of London fulfils its ambition to move to a larger site at West Smithfield," said the City of London Corporation.

The initial funding of £2.5million ($3.3million USD) of the project is provided by the City of London Corporation and estimated budged for the project is expected to cost between ($255-320 USD). 

"My studio is very honored to be chosen from among this stellar group of architects and thrilled to have the chance to create an important cultural building for London, our first in the UK. We look forward to working with three of London’s greatest institutions and the opportunity to align their artistic, educational and civic visions for the Centre for Music," said Elizabeth Diller, Partner, Diller Scofidio + Renfro. 

"The new building will meet the needs of artists and audiences today with a keen eye toward the future. It will be sensitive to the inherited character of the Barbican and its vital role in Culture Mile while directly engaging the contemporary urban life of the city. We aspire to make a hub where people want to spend their time, with or without a ticket," she added.

London Barbican Hall, LSO. Image © Wikimedia user FA2010

Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Sheppard Robson will work alongside an outstanding design team that includes internationally recognised experts in their fields capable of delivering on the project’s ambition to create state-of-the-art building of acoustic and visual excellence. These teams include acoustician - Nagata Acoustics, theatre consultant - Charcoalblue, civil and structural engineer - BuroHappold, building services engineers - BuroHappold and cost consultant - AECOM.

"The panel agreed that, of the six excellent submissions, Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s visionary ideas offered the exciting potential to create a Centre for Music fit for the future that offers access and engagement for all," said the Centre for Music architect selection panel. 

"The panel felt Diller Scofidio + Renfro most clearly met the vision and ambition of this project, utilising their experience of creating inspiring new spaces for culture to present a proposal that delivers a world-class concert hall in an outstanding new building, as part of the re-imagination of a key area of the City of London within Culture Mile," they added.

The design team will now work together with the project partners to deliver a concept design for the Centre for Music which will be submitted to the City of London Corporation by December 2018 as part of a detailed business case for the Centre.

Top image © Museum of London

> via The City of London Corporation