ON-AIR – IN STYLE!

compiled by team I and photography by hufton + crow, with kind permission from the architects mascha veech-kosmatschof and stuart veech of vienna-based multidisciplinary architecture firm veech x veech – leaders in creating three-dimensional branded environments – have created a pre-eminent broadcast production facility, with a multi-purpose newsroom and revolutionary studio for al jazeera media network’s (ajmn) new uk headquarters. the facility is located in the iconic shard skyscraper in london. This design reinvents the concept of the traditional “black box” studio and sets a new standard for the layout of broadcasting facilities. The design centers on a single area that can interact concurrently with the lighting, the view out to the capital, and the digital display screens. This is accomplished by working on a floor plate that has already been decided. Because of the highly specialized and precision-driven requirements of the facility, the perspective of the studio is created to seem differently on screen in comparison to how it really looks. This is accomplished by employing the camera as an extra tool as part of the process. “we utilized digital 3d modeling and 1:1 mock-ups to test and emphasize the perspective composition of the news desk and set design to create a dynamic on-air appearance,” explains Stuart. “This allowed us to create a dynamic on-air look, framing the panoramic view of the London cityscape.” “the major challenge,” he adds, “was to the invert the restrictive constraints of a high rise building into a design asset by restructuring the perspective composition to enhance a cinematic wide-angle depth of space,” which ultimately led to the development of a unique channel spatial brand identity.” The architects were able to effectively transform the project’s most significant design obstacle into an advantage for the business. In most studios, a minimum ceiling height of 4.5 meters is required, but at the Shard, they were only allowed to have a height of 2.8 meters. The troublesome low ceilings were made into a highlight of the on-air look by working inside and around a complicated network of structural beams to produce a completely other sort of space that defines the studio’s character when it is broadcast to the public. It is a first in the history of nonstop news broadcasting that completely automated low-level lighting has been incorporated into the ceiling. The lighting rests amid acoustic panels to produce dramatic curving lines that reflect the contour of the news desk below. This is a global first. These fixed units are able to accommodate any camera angle or amount of illumination since they make use of some of the most cutting-edge approaches that are now available in lighting design and engineering. The high level of design and performance of the studio, which differentiates it from the typical “black box” approach, has been further demonstrated by the incorporation of specialized filters into the glass facade and the cameras. These filters manage the light exposure from the outside world and further demonstrate the high level of design and performance of the studio. “this intriguing project challenges the way news is created and needs the design team to take a novel approach,” said Patrick Bedeau, global creative director for Al Jazeera. “The design team must integrate the broadcast studio into the office space within an open-plan environment.” To this day, the undertaking has been recognized with a prestigious international design award and has been shortlisted for a prestigious prize presented by the British Council of Offices. To see the photographs taken in the production house on indiaartndesign.com, please click here.

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