MJHL Montreux Jazz Heritage Lab
The famous Montreux Jazz Festival has been capturing the concerts that take place under its auspices in both audio and video recordings for many decades, so preserving them for future generations. The Montreux Jazz Heritage Lab (MJHL) is a specially constructed modular room. It has been created to give visitors wishing to consult the concert archives, which now exist in digital form, the opportunity of experiencing these recordings with total visual and acoustic authenticity. The curved projection screen has been inspired by the trompe-l’œil effect which the Baroque era used with such virtuosity. It gives the viewer the illusion of being physically present and in the thick of things. Acoustic considerations were an important factor in planning the geometry of the MJHL and in the choice of materials. With a view to allowing a wider audience as well to enjoy the concert experience, the side partition of the room is designed as a door and can be opened out completely.
Comments of the nominators
The wooden structure has been skilfully designed as a basis for transporting digital recordings into the analogue world. Thanks to the collaboration of various different disciplines, the multimedia archive has been made available to the public in the most convincing and impressive way. The modular structure, consisting of 1300 wooden components, makes the Heritage Lab a mobile asset.
Comments of the jury
This space, specially created for the archive of the Montreux Jazz Festival, manifests a radical approach which has been impressively realised in practice. Everything has been aimed at maximising the intense authenticity of the experience of the concert recordings – both visually and in terms of the sound technology. Designed to suggest a cocoon, the room encourages visitors to give their concentrated attention to the archive materials. At the same time, the form of the room gives the energy of the music the best possible expression. The modular design of the cellular space extends practical possibilities of the Heritage Lab. Finally, this project makes an exemplary impression in view of its associations with university education – learning by doing in the best sense of the word.
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