Suntory Hall
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The Suntory Hall, constructed in the late 70s and early 80s, is a Hall in Tokyo, Japan the first just for Musical concerts.
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[edit] History
Suntory Hall is located in the Ark Hills complex, near the U.S Embassy and TV Asahi in the Akasaka district which is in northern Minato a ward in Tokyo. It was opened October 12, 1986 in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of whisky production and 20th anniversary of beer sales by Suntory. The plaza in front of Suntory Hall which was constructed additionally in April, 1998 is the Herbert von Karajan Platz in Ark Hills in remembrance of the Maestro who was closely association with Suntory Hall. Who recommended vineyard configuration where the audience surrounds the concert floor in the Main Hall. He also helped with the acoustical evaluation, as he is quoted in the message sent to President Keizo Saji of Suntory Hall, "I was deeply moved by the outstanding sounds of the hall. It is truly a jewel box of sound." The Suntory Hall has had performers and conductors from all around the world, such as Andreas Juffinger, Per Tengstrand, Denis Shapovalov, Darko Brle, Graham Scott and Koichi Sugiyama in 1987 when the first Video game music concert was held.
[edit] Layout
[edit] Main Hall
The seats in the Main Hall are situated around the Concert floor (250m2 (21sections) the "vineyard configuration" it can seat up to 2,006 people. In doing this a closer acoustical sensibility is created for not only the audience to enjoy but for the performers and conductors as well. Also in the front center of the Main Hall is the Concert Pipe Organ, Composed of 74 stops and 5,898 pipes. It is one of the largest pipe organs in the world, custom build and crafted by the world renowned Rieger Company of Austria. Its sensational warmth and velvety soft sounds make the Hall flow with lush consummate effects due to repeated tuning right after installation in the Main Hall. It has also been modified with computerized control mechanisms to allow remote consoles to control it from the stage.
[edit] Small Hall
The Small Hall’s seats can be moved and the stage is comprised of three different sections that can be raised by up to 60 centimeters in increments of 20 centimeters, it can seat 384 to 432 people. The inside 425m2 (25m x 17m) is made up of a Wooden interior paneling, like the Main Hall the Small Hall produces warm and richly crisp atmospheric tones. The Small Hall's main use is for Chamber and soloist performances, the size and complexity add much to the enjoyment of the performance. Due to the hall's size of 41.6m2/62.4 m2 (3 platforms) it has also been used for speeches, seminars and lectures.
[edit] Additional Facilities
Additional facilities consist of the Foyer which has a mahogany paneling finish and marble trim. For enjoyment and relaxation while waiting for performances and during intermissions, the Foyer provides access to facilities such as the Cocktail corner for intermissions as well as “Bar Intermezzo” and "Cafe Intermezzo". Suntory Hall is the first to bring facilities like this to Japan, there are also other facilities such as a gift shop, cloak room and box office in the Suntory Hall. One of the most profound things at Suntory Hall is the art icons which include Chandelier Symphony of Lights by Motoko Ishii, Stained Glass “Growth of Grapes” by Keiko Miura and Wall Art by Teppei Ujiyama are located in the Foyer, Additionally, outside by the entrance is a Sculpture by Takenobu Igarashi.
