lunes, 28 de diciembre de 2015

Interés los resultados y primeras conclusiones sobre la acústica del Auditorio de Fernando Menis en Torun, Polonia.


Los resultados más interesantes de este proyecto vienen de la mano de la utilización de materiales naturales, sin ornamentación, para conseguir una #acústica excelente.

En el caso de un auditorio, una de estas variables con mayor peso es la acústica. En el proyecto analizado, el Auditorio de Torun, la decisión proyectual de no limitar la sala a un solo tipo de acontecimiento abrió una innovadora investigación que posibilita la variación de las características acústicas de la sala para cada evento y que dota de un carácter único al edificio: una singular acústica variable.


Se trata de un concepto que se basa en tres estrategias conjuntas que tienen como resultado el hecho de permitir que el Auditorio, como se ha demostrado ya en los actos de pre apertura y apertura celebrados las primeras semanas de diciembre de 2015, si es utilizado correctamente por sus responsables y gestores, se adapte perfectamente a los diferentes eventos que se celebren en él:

1. Estrategia de la volumetría: La sala principal del auditorio puede reducir o ampliar su volumen y aforo mediante unos elementos móviles suspendidos del techo. La posibilidad de modificar las dimensiones interiores dotan al auditorio de una versatilidad acústica única, permitiendo afinar la sala para cada espectáculo.

2. Estrategia de la geometría interior: Una Una triangulación que tiene como resultado una solución espacial única y versátil, que evita la complejidad proyectual que conlleva la doble curvatura. Mediante este sistema se puede modificar el espacio en función de las necesidades de cada zona sin que cambien otras partes del mismo.

3. Estrategia de la materialidad: la modificación de los valores de absorción acústica de los materiales, hormigón y ladrillo rojo, versus madera. Mediante elementos pétreos bien estudiados, con la masa y densidad adecuadas, se puede llegar a crear una acústica de igual o mayor calidad, despertando una sensación única en el espectador, parecida a la experimentada en ciertos espacios naturales1. La materialidad pétrea de estos espacios hace que sean poco absorbentes, permitiendo una gran reflexión del sonido y, al mismo tiempo, un muy buena difusión sonora, gracias a la rugosidad de sus
superficies, haciendo de ellos unos excelentes auditorios naturales que, además, crean una sensación sobre cogedora en el espectador.

Otro de los resultados a resaltar: la creación de un nuevo material. Este nuevo material, fruto de la sinergia generada por la combinación del hormigón con el rojo ladrillo cerámico típico de las criptas de edificios de la ciudad, permitió crear una superficie rugosa (que provoca la difusión del sonido en medias y altas frecuencias y evita ecos) y pétrea (cuya dureza potencia las reflexiones a medias y bajas frecuencias). Sustituye este picado de Torun a la ornamentación tradicional. Se consiguen retomar las reflexiones de determinadas frecuencias como las que se tuvieron en cuenta en el barroco gracias a las ornamentación que sin embargo el movimiento moderno había olvidado.

Normalmente, en la mayoría de auditorios actuales los proyectistas añaden absorción porque esto da seguridad pero MENIS, en el Auditorio de Torun, asume riesgos y no añade absorción porque se supone que la acústica variable sustituye a la necesidad de esta. Por tanto la conclusión es que en lugar de jugar con la absorción el arquitecto juega con el volumen.

Ahora que muchos auditorios optan por la moda de por las dobles curvaturas en Torun se elige tomar otra dirección porque esas dobles curvaturas no dan una libertad formal de movimiento que el triángulo sí ofrece.

martes, 22 de diciembre de 2015

La nueva España envía mensajes de whatsap y la vieja España prefiere llamar por teléfono


Resultado de imagen de whatsapp vs sms



Me ha hecho mucha gracia escuchar a Rajoy hablar sobre lo que había comentado tras las elecciones con los líderes de los diferentes partidos, dijo algo así como que había hablado con Sánchez, que se había mensajeado con Rivera y que Pablo Iglesias le había enviado un mensaje con una pregunta.

Entonces pensé que ahí sí que me identifico con la nueva España totalmente, en el uso inteligente y rápido de las nuevas tecnologías, especialmente hablar poco y escribir mensajes.


Detesto que me llamen por teléfono, aunque hay llamadas y llamadas claro, no todas son iguales, pero generalmente prefiero que me envíen un mensaje, me parece más respetuoso con mi tiempo y el de los demás. Seguramente es simplemente una forma nueva de entender el mundo en la que me posiciono. Más bien, una forma nueva de entender el mundo en la que llevo viviendo desde que descubrí los sms y luego los whatsap.

sábado, 12 de diciembre de 2015

Opening of the Auditorium in Torun, Poland, by Architect Fernando Menis.



-     Spanish Architect Fernando Menis will be inaugurating his most complex work up to date in the historic town of Torun, this Saturday Dec 12th.

-       The birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus will unveil this red building, known as CKK “Jordanki”, with the Torun Symphonic Orchestra, who debuts this way its new headquarters.

Everything is ready in Torun for the opening to public today, Dec 12th of what will probably be the most important building of this city during the present XXIst century.


This new building in Torun (Poland), a UNESCO protected historic town, expresses a fusion of old and new through the use of historical and contemporary materials. The interior uses brick, a material present on nearly all the façades of the historic centre. The exterior is created with an almost white concrete. As it is cut and carved away, shades of red appear as the lining in its holes. The building’s use of material is a reinterpretation of the traditional use of brick, establishing a parallel between the tectonics of the city and the location of the plot. The interplay of colours, red and white, emphasizes the dichotomy between the modern and historic architectures and the innovations in technologies used in construction. We use to explain the volume of the concert hall through the experience of eating Zurek, a very popular dish eaten in Poland. Zurek is a traditional soup served in a bun whose crumb has been removed and its outer shell is used as a bowl.


The plot of the project is set in a green ring around the centre of this small, smart, and meticulous Polish town of Torun and bordering the new development of the city.

The project site is designed to exist as half of the area of the site. This is to give the remaining area to the park. A green arc is created to create views onto the theatre as well as make the park appear larger. The views to the river stay intact, in order to assure that the project does not block views to the river it was essential to keep the building’s height the smallest possible. This was also advantageous to the historic nature of the neighbourhood, as the building blends with the site and exists as a natural object.

The concert hall’s outer skin remains rigid while, inside, the building exists as a fluid that brings together the different functions, its many elements different but existing together but slowly combining and playing off each other. Holes and cuts made in its rigid shell allow the red to seep out to the exterior. The program is carefully considered and flexible in nature, the building allows the theatre to create different capacities allowing it to change from performance to performance like a sponge. Allowing two rooms to act as the main theatre moving the walls changes the number of seats available. It is a building which, thanks to its flexible acoustic system, can be tuned and adapted to each musical program that is wished to be performed.


The concert hall may also be opened to the outside, allowing outdoor performances and use of the park for events. The design is open and permeable, it allows people to pass though it toward the square, providing a complete and continuous connection to the public.

The CKK “Jordanki” will become an international symbol of culture and architecture for the city of Torun. Thanks to its unique location and strategic position, it is not just a new building, but a single object, an emblem and reflection of the pride of its society.


The building creates an intimate inner world, maintaining the fluid connection with the outside world, it behaves like a door. It allows users to go through it and reach a square which is the heart of the buildings site.

The project aims to create an auditorium adaptable to various events and various public capacities that is even able to hold several separate events simultaneously. It is also engineered so that it is able to effectively absorb symphonic performances, chamber, theatre, opera, cinema and meet any acoustic requirements the theatre designer requires.

Architect Fernando Menis has stated that “I wanted to make an auditorium that has the best efficiency possible, one that can adapt to different events and various capacities for public, and even to be able to house several independent acts simultaneously. Thus, able to absorb efficiently a varied number of performances, the kind of symphonic music, chamber music, theatre, opera, cinema, musicals…and, at the same time, a place which citizens of Torun can feel proud of. “


 




miércoles, 25 de noviembre de 2015

7 COSAS QUE DESCUBRÍ ESCRIBIENDO MI PRIMERA NOVELA NEGRA.



1.- Lo primero que he descubierto es cuán feminista soy, mucho más de lo que ya sabía que era. Tener un personaje femenino protagonista, una mujer policía, que hace lo que le gusta, es una de las cosas más liberadoras que he tenido la oportunidad de hacer. Siempre he sido una mujer independiente. Pero la fuerza de María Anchieta, protagonista de mi primera novela Robo en Sao Paulo, me inspira y me hace mejor persona. Ella es mejor que yo. Me gana. Es una sensación extraña.



2.- He desarrollado una fascinación por todo tipo de armamento. Pero sobre todo el poco habitual, aquellos objetos cotidianos que podrían ser utilizados como armas. Desde un pica hielos hasta una tostadora o una plancha para el pelo. Terrible la cantidad de cosas que pueden ocurrírsele a uno. Espero que los criminales sean menos creativos.

3.- No puedo leer otra cosa que novelas negras, detectivescas o policiacas. Siempre he leído vorazmente y ampliamente. Pero cuando estoy inmersa en la escritura de un crimen, no puedo leer nada donde los personajes no estén en peligro inminente. El resto de la ficción y ensayo lo dejo para cuando no estoy en proceso creativo (esto se repitió durante la escritura de la segunda novela de la inspectora María Anchieta, Asesinato en una playa de Londres).


4.- Escribir una novela negra es una excusa para pasar horas viendo series policiacas en la tele. Esa distracción parece convertirse en trabajo pero sigue siendo muy placentera sobre todo si aprovechas para tomarte una copa de vino mientras tanto.

5.- Tengo una mente audiovisual. No lo había pensado hasta que me lo dijo mi editor, pero es así. Tal vez debido a mi larga historia como amante del cine me encontré  escribiendo siempre con imágenes de lugares y actores en la mente.  Escribo, sin querer, pensando en el cine, en ver a mi María Anchieta en la gran pantalla cual James Bond.

6.- Caminar es la mejor terapia para encontrar la inspiración. Salía a caminar una hora diaria mientras escribía Robo en Sao Paulo y a veces me encontraba casi murmurando los diálogos con el peligro de parecer estar un poco loca pero si se controla un poco el ensimismamiento es un ejercicio perfecto para la creación literaria, y además hace que tu cuerpo no se resienta de estar tantas horas sentada ante el ordenador.

7.- Necesito repasar la novela una y otra vez, capítulo a capítulo, y tengo que reconocer que es en esos repasos cuando mejora y coge consistencia.


Dulce Xerach


Me encanta ser una WOMEN CRIME WRITER en la Feria del Libro de Guadalajara, México

Allí estaremos! Como una Woman Crime Writer más.




Fernando Menis

Fernando Menis

sábado, 21 de noviembre de 2015

El gasto en cultura en Canarias en una imagen.

Sobran las palabras...

    *Evolución del gasto público en Cultura por el Gobierno de Canarias, 1997-2016.

viernes, 20 de noviembre de 2015

Fernando Menis, entrevista en Gazeta Wyborcza Torun, sobre su nuevo auditorio en Polonia. About Menis new auditorium in Poland


Fernando Menis interview.


1.        You’ve been working in Toruń for almost seven years. Do you feel connected to the city? How would you describe that relation? How would you define Toruń?

It is somehow a love relationship.  Back in 2008 I fell and I am still in love with the urban landscape of Toruń. Like all love relationships, it sometimes encountered problems. Nothing is easy, but it is an amazing moment of my life.

2.        You told that the concert hall will be some sort of love letter to the local community. How is that so?

Yes it is. It is what I can do for a city I love. I put the best of myself, my capacity of design to give the city a new piece of art for the present and future history.



3.        How did you come up with this idea? I heard that Menis Arquitectos always spends a great deal of time on cultural and site analysis. What was the outcome of this process in Torun? Did you find something new and genuine about the city?

First I try to discover the essence, the genius loci of a place. So I came to Torun and tried to understand and feel the city, the history, the landscape, the air. After that I tried to continue this history full of respect and create a new way, a new step in the evolution of the city.

4.        Do you expect that the building will be a vital part of Torun? What kind of relations will it produce in the center of a city?

I think the new building, the CKK, is a contribution to the XXIst century that connects with the tradition and historically used materials such as brick and brings a new landmark to the city, a new perspective of modernity.

5.        The whole area of Jordanki was very demanding. The building must fit to the surrounding - it should be as low as possible. You were talking about „fine integration of the cultural and natural landscape”. Did you manage to achieve that?

I believe so. It was not especially difficult to me because it is something I always do - trying to integrate the new building into the landscape that surrounds it. I love to try to be really a part of the city with harmony, calm and peace, and at the same time, create something new, an evolution.

6. What were the most pressing issues or challenges you faced? What were your objectives and goals?

On one hand, I think the acoustic challenge was the most important one, because the function of the building is to be a concert hall. One of the most impressive aspects of engineering in this project is its variable acoustics system. The ceiling of the performance hall is flexible and can be dropped dramatically changing the volume of the hall affecting its acoustic qualities and allowing the greatest possible flexibility in acoustic design of the space.

On the other hand, it was the multi-functionality, as the building has to be efficient and serve for many things at once: word, music, opera, congress…

7.        What does success look like in this project to you? Is it the media coverage? Mass popularity among visitors? Personal satisfaction? Or something else?

For me it is a great chance outside of my own country. Poland has given me the opportunity to feel European and to have an international projection.

8. The concert hall is the dominant building in the area. It will focus all the attention on itself. Why is that so? Was it tempting to make something more subtle or invisible? What sort of feelings will it evoke?

One of the photographs of its surroundings – taken by Roland Halbe, for example, has been included in Arquitectura Viva (one of the most famous architecture magazines, published in both Spanish and English). If you take look at it, you will notice the CKK Jordanki is fully integrated into the environment and the scale of the historic city of Torun.

9. We all had great expectations about this concert hall. The officials told us that the building will resemble La Scala in Milan or Berliner Philharmony…


The CKK Jordanki has the potential to become an international symbol of culture and architecture for the city of Torun. Thanks to its unique location and strategic position, it is not just a new building, but a single object, an emblem and reflection of the pride of its society.  Now, all together, the city council, the architects and the citizens have a new challenge: promote it internationally.


10. When you won the competition in Torun, there was an outburst of global financial crisis. Some people were saying that Torun should not finalize this project because of economic reasons. The project was called lavish, expensive, overscaled, a bit eccentric…

We were lucky to have a very brave client. The mayor firmly opted for the project and risked his own career. I have to thank him for that.

11. Many experts say that modern architecture of Torun depicts the complete lack of originality and courage, self-worth, it’s been based on doubt and uncertainty. There will be nothing significant left of us. Is there a hope for Torun?

It is very common for cities where the weight of history is great to have trouble like you said, but I would like to send a message: you must do well, be respectful with the history and, at the same time, always try to be innovative, just put much love in what to do and think with respect to the landscape around you.

12. Do we really have a chance to make a significant change and make a new landmark in the cityscape?

Yes of course, you only have to believe in good quality architecture and use the formula of idea competitions with good juries -  choose the best architects possible for every place and you will have a big future.

13. What do we have to do in order to create a concept that could become groundbreaking for the immediate future in Torun?

I do not think there is a magic formula. It is just that on the role each of us plays, we must try to do things we have to do in the best way possible. How? Learning from the best and trying to capture the essence of every place at all times.

14. I feel that Torun can’t really escape the architectural references to the red brick gothic.

Red brick is a marvelous material, why the need to escape? I think with our new building we demonstrate that it is possible to use red brick in an innovative and trendy way, mixing it with modern concrete. You are a marvelous red city, don’t lose it!

15. In one of the interviews you told that your source of inspiration is Common Sense. What does it mean?

Common sense shows me how dealing with raw materials and their true potential make the context where they are inserted; it is the framework in which reason and emotion are combined. For example, using brick in Torun is common sense because it is a material that works well in the city, it becomes the predominant clay itself in Poland. If the clay here is one of a very good quality, why should we use another material?