The Shape of Music: Pavillon 21 MINI Opera Space designed by COOP HIMMELB(L)AU June 28, 2010

Welcome to the newest incarnation of "Creative Use of Space." Pavillon 21 MINI Opera Space, a temporary structure designed by Viennese firm COOP HIMMELB(L)AU, will be the scene of a month-long event series planned by MINI and the Bavarian State Opera, from June 24th to July 25th. COOP HIMMELB(L)AU, who were commissioned to create this futuristic structure for Munich's historic Marstallplatz (Marstall Square), are calling this radical, shimmering space-urchin their "smallest yet most exciting project." With a maximum capacity of 500, the building is relatively compact, but then, how else would you be able to pick it up and move it to a brand new city whenever you wanted? It's true: the construction, with hardly a single right angle or flat surface, is not only a fully operative theater and concert space, it is also fully temporary and mobile. What's more, surfaces of aluminum sheeting and sound-absorbent steel wool make for a prime venue with optimal acoustics for all genres of music and creative events. COOP HIMMELB(L)AU's co-founder Wolf D. Prix describes the building as a kind of "spatial manifestation of music." When you consider the structure's skyward lunging, cleanly gleaming, controlled chaos of spines, you might even catch a glimpse of what he means: in designing the building, Prix was influenced in equal parts by Jimi Hendrix's immortal line "'Scuse me while I kiss the sky", and Mozart's „Don Giovanni." Just as the spark of inspiration behind this gnarly construction fuses rock ‘n' roll with opera, so will the adventurous events program for whose sake it was brought to life. To read more about the individual happenings planned for this project, and find out how you can win tickets, visit our Program Page.   Related Links Pavillon 21 MINI Opera Space COOP HIMMELB(L)AU