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Aula Magna – a place for nature, structure and people to meet

Last Updated (Thursday, 05 June 2008 13:33) Written by Sofia Cottman Thursday, 05 June 2008 11:43

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aulamagna_inside_1.jpgOne of the main sites for the IAMCR-congress will be the beautiful auditorium Aula Magna, situated on the campus ground of Stockholm University.
Aula Magna was initiated in 1997.

The creator of the building is Ralph Erskin, one of Sweden’s most prominent architects. Erskin, the designer behind several buildings on the campus, was 25 years old when he moved from England to Sweden in 1939. Here he fell in love with the climate and the closeness to the nature. Over time he developed an explicit and personal style. His idea was that his buildings should work in coherence with the Nordic landscape to a larger extent than the white boxes of functionalism did. The result was low, asymmetric buildings in natural material, round shapes, tilted roofs and structured fronts, always designed with the specific character of the place in mind.

In drawing Aula Magna the Greek amphitheatre served as inspiration. Erskin’s purpose with the steep room was to make people in the audience aware of each other and bring forward a feeling of togetherness. That makes Aula Magna an ideal auditorium for the IAMCR, as its mission is to serve as a meeting point for researchers worldwide.
Moreover, the shape of the amphitheatre follows the natural slope of the hill down to Roslagsvägen, and in that way the building coexists well with the surrounding nature.

With Erskin’s commission followed that the 1200 listeners in Aula Magna must be able to hear the speaker without any help of electronic device. Erskin solved this task together with a sound advisor. By giving the ceiling a deep tilt from the stage upwards they managed to maximize the spread of the sound. Other aspects of the room and the material used in the design also contribute to increase the sound and avoid echo. This means that it is possible, in a normal tone of voice, to reach all 1200 listeners without a microphone.