AMP, ASBURY MUSIC PARK

Asbury Park, New Jersey, a city built by music will be reborn to house AMP, Asbury Music Park. Located on the boardwalk, right off the Atlantic Ocean stands a music based performance center where the surrounding environment becomes the inspiration for the overall design by adding in elements of an acoustic guitar. Keeping the city’s cultural history intact, while bringing in new technology, will allow people to come together to not only watch the performance but become a part of the overall experience. Now, post Hurricane Sandy, life will be given back to the community through the influence of music and the creation of new sound. 

AMP’s mission is all about reinventing what a performance space could be. The building is intended to connect all the spaces within it together, celebrating the collaboration of music. People of all ages will be playing and enjoying live music throughout the entire building from day to night.

The site is right on the boardwalk next to the Atlantic Ocean, creating a clear exterior and interior connection with the ocean. The building will elevate a total of 6 ft. above the boardwalk by adding a concrete slab on top of the existing structure, which is a total of 10’ above the datum line. 

The programmatic axon above indicates how the building in separated into four main spaces. The Open Flex Space, Creative Spaces, Main Performance Stage, and Restaurant correspond with the existing exterior structure.

“Well I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk.” 

The concept behind AMP is bringing in both the hard and soft elements of an acoustic guitar to inspire the overall design. I want the user to feel as though they are inhabiting the inside structure of a guitar as they enter the building. Plugging in the inspiration of the acoustic guitar allows AMP to come alive. 

OPEN FLEX SPACE

The open flex space serves as the lobby to the AMP building and includes a cafe, box office, and open performance space with flexible creative spaces along the edge. The design element of an acoustic guitar comes into play throughout this entire space. The building is elevated 6 feet for the flood plain, and has step levels leading one towards the main stage entry on the second floor. The idea behind this is so that less damage will be caused in the event of flooding. All equipment is placed on the ceiling for that same reason.

ACOUSTICAL SOLUTION

HPL panels with a genuine wood veneer base are used throughout the AMP building. The Obersound collection from Oberflex allows acoustic wall panels to become an instrument of the user’s imagination by trapping sound through the material itself. 

CREATIVE SPACES

Something Asbury Park greatly lacks are creative spaces for people to practice music. What AMP offers is the opportunity to record music and jam out with fellow musicians. What's unique is how this space allows anyone who walks into the building to look behind the scenes and see a performer in action through a window during a recording session or band practice. 

PERFORMANCE SPACES 

The Main Stage is at the heart of the building, acting as a sound board. The Open Performance Space is part of the open flex space, set up for anyone to have the chance to become the performer. There will be a revolving lineup of musicians throughout the night, allowing performers to create opportunities with other musicians to find new sound. This idea rediscovers old roots by reinventing what The Upstage, an old music venue in Asbury Park, had once offered.

THE AMP APP

The AMP app is an experimental design user experience aided by headphones in the performance areas. Technology will be able to determine one’s location in the venue, as microphones positioned throughout the space will allow the user to adjust the sound on the headphones.