Conceived as a place open to everyone, Malmö Live is manifold in both its activities and architecture. The open layout of public and shared spaces invites citizens and visitors alike inside to make use of the various facilities, linger or just pass through to cut corners. At the heart of the house is a state-of-the-art symphonic concert hall which has become a cultural engine for the area.
The unique quality of the building is that it has no rear – only fronts – making it a central meeting place that promotes connectivity and engagement across ages, interests, and activities. While some come regularly to enjoy a concert at a world-class venue, others are in town only for a few days participating in a conference. Some might just walk through the building to cut corners, while others use the many nooks and comfortable seating areas for study groups. In the summer, the wood promenade facing the canal is a popular hangout spot for both the young and the old.
Malmö Live was, from the outset, born with the intention of creating a significant building which was simultaneously present in the local, the regional and the global. A building which would contribute to the city skyline and to its evolving character as a cultural, business, and tourist destination.
The public areas throughout Malmö Live and the sheer scale of the volumes make the building a focal point in the collective space, while the direction of each sub-component reaches out to its immediate urban context and welcomes visitors from all directions. Its iconographic character and location between the harbour and historic city centre has made it a prominent focal point and landmark in Malmö. A destination which interprets the spirit, diversity, and intimacy of the city, and embraces it from all directions.
Accessibility and public connections were the starting point for the project, located in a strategic site between the old city and its modern extension.
The program includes a Concert Hall, a Conference center and a hotel. They are organized in an organic cluster to avoid a long back-of-house facade and activate the perimeter all around.
The façades are designed with an homogeneous expression to make the composition appear as one architectonic sculpture. Inspired by musical composition, the facade is articulated with different rythms, enabling variations in transparency and openness.
The colour nuances of the surroundings are reflected in chromatic variations of the ceramic facade.
The detailing of the facade, its proportioning, colour and technical properties were explored extensively through working with full scale mockups.
From the visualisation of a vision to a live reality in Malmö
Malmö Live is an open, expressive, and dynamic house. It accommodates a symphonic concert hall, a congress centre, hotel, bar, and a restaurant. The sweeping lines, scale, and volumes create the impression of the building as a striking urban sculpture where the harbour and the city meet.
It plays a significant role in shaping the emerging identity of Malmö as a cultural hub that inspires interaction between people and fosters participation and integration for all citizens. The synergies between the concert hall, the congress and the hotel facilities have resulted in a place that appears as a vibrant hub for activities around the clock.
Through its homogeneity in design language and choice of materials, the house appears as a coherent sculptural composition.
Passers-by, coming from the city or the park, along the canal, can follow the scenery that unfolds inside the house - and maybe also be enticed to step inside. On a warm summer's day, the promenade serves as a popular hang-out spot for the citizens and tourists of Malmö.
