Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: Writtings by other Authors on this project I Came, I Saw, IRCAM, Lehrman, Paul/ MIX/ 1999 Unlike American research centers, IRCAM isn't based at a university, although it does have some high-level academic affiliations. It doesn't get gobs of money from corporate sponsors who then get dibs on anything that comes out, although it does make deals with private corpo-rations, and is not at all averse to making mon-ey. There are other public research institutes in other countries that do similar work-STEIM ' in Holland, for one-but none are as well-funded or as w􀀁-organized. IRCAM is indeed unique, somethmg you could only find in France, where socialism intersects with capitalism, and fasci-nation with the future intersects with pride in the past. The second indication was that IRCAM is now literally, above ground. Its original facility wa􀀁 built entirely underneath a plaza next to the hideous Georges Pompidou Center. It was a formidable space, but it seemed cramped right from the beginning, and natural light was non-ex:istent; it felt more like a rabbit warren than a space for creative human beings. In 1990, the new eight-story Piano tower (named not after 􀀁e musical instrument, but its designer, Renzo Piano) was completed, and in 1996, two four-sto-ry buildings next door, one an old school and the other a former municipal bathhouse, were taken over a_nd refurbished. Today the underground space 1s empty, undergoing serious renovations, while all the work goes on in decidedly more pleasant, if still somewhat cramped, quarters (at least, until they finish the renovations and move some of the labs back downstairs). L'IRCAM (EXTENSION), Richman, Adam / Invisible Paris / 2009 Few visitors to the Centre Georges Pompidou are aware that an integral part of the scheme is aL􀀁o a centre for research into music and sound ' the IRCAM (L'Institut de Recherche et Coor-dination Acoustique/Musique). The reason for this . oversight is very clear - the origu>nal 0 struc- ture 1s completely underground, and it wasn't until the architect Renzo Piano added an above ground level extension that anybody could be expected to know of its existence. For the original structure, Piano and Richard Rogers had been free to use the design and ma-terials of their choice, but when Piano 􀀁,,as asked to add additional floor space and come back above ground he was forced to respect Paris planning laws. He would be limited to a certain height, and above all, the building would have to be in brick to match the two neighbouring struc-tures (an old school and a disused public baths). ?f a?out 24 miles from north to south. A geolog-1cal unpact over the valley that appeared instan-taneously is now a beautiful bio-topo made of a wide variety of cacti, and other flora and fauna. Renzo Piano has never done things the easy way though, and was totally against producing a simple building in brick and mortar. He want- ed to find a new way to work v.ith the material ' and eventually discovered a technique which allowed him to use brick in the facade without actually sticking them together. The bricks are actually perforated and strung together like beads on a necklace, then placed into panels and slotted into the building's metal frame. The technique was experimental and proved to be very costly. After being placed into the fur-nace, the 20,000 bricks used in the building had expanded slightly and would no longer fit the frames, so each one had to be filed down to the correct size again - by hand! Nevertheless, the result was judged an overwhelming success and has become something of a Piano trademark, and much copied elsewhere. 3697