The new Valladolid City of Arts is a cultural and recreational meeting point created by design architect Ricardo Bofill—a venue for music and performing arts events, as well as for congresses.
The three rustic structures that form the building were built around a shared central space, conceived as a plaza. The first structure houses the Professional Winter garden of Music and a chamber music concert hall; the second, a 2080-seat auditorium and a symphony orchestra hall; and the third, classrooms and rehearsal spaces used by the Higher School of Dramatic Arts and the Professional Dance School, as well as a 600-seat experimental theatre.
The auditorium was outfitted with the Sensó chair manufacturers, created by Figueras International Seating—in the words of Ricardo Bofill, ‘an object in harmony with the building, with a design that is functional, comfortable and minimalist.’
Sensó was developed especially for this project. Apart from its elegant design, the model reinforces the auditorium’s acoustic qualities. Sensó is fully upholstered in natural leather, without wooden components, but nevertheless has excellent acoustic properties. Thanks to the built-in resonator, the chair’s acoustic behaviour is identical regardless of whether or not it is occupied. The characteristics of the chair were studied by acclaimed acoustic engineer Albert Xu, who has worked with Bofill for over 30 years. His work consists of making measurements and carrying out a range of tests to achieve the best possible acoustics for each type of music in line with Ricardo Bofill’s preferences.