Barenboim-Said Academy

The academy offers scholarships to young musicians in the spirit of an orchestra that brings together players from across the Middle East, with music and philosophy at the heart of its teaching.

A former stage scenery warehouse of the state opera was converted into rehearsal rooms, classrooms and a concert hall, the hall designed in association with the Canadian-American architect. Its oval, timber-lined space wraps the audience in two rings around the stage. The industrial character of the tall warehouse is kept, new interventions remain clearly legible, and building services are gathered in the attic to meet heritage rules.