Mihaela Atanasova
BUIL 1074 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
the building as an instrument - tunable unit 7 tutors: Dr Shaun Murray, Simon Withers and Yorgos Loizos course coordinator: Max Dewdney
CONTENT Abstract - 05
chapter l - the QUESTION / ISSUE / PROBLEM introduction to the specifics site sound history building program
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08 10 11 12
technical focus - 15
chapter ll - RESEARCH technical case studies of buildings 01 - geometry - Walt Disney concert hall - 18 02 - function - The CKK Jordanki Multi Purpose Concert Hall - 20 03 - material - The Elbe Philharmony - 24
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chapter lll - TEST / PROOF technical investigation 01 - geometry acoustic box 02 - function opening in stage 03 - materials innovation
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31 33 34 35 36 39
chapter lV - APPLICATION results from the report applied to the building drawings demonstrating the application of the technical subject matter of the dissertation section - opera - 42 - drama - 43 axonometric drawing - 44 details - ceiling panel - 46 - wall panel - 47
conclusion - 48 Bibliography - 50
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Each chapter is structured so as it adds information from the bigger bicture following consequently to the the focus detail.
dictionary
of structural terminology used throughout the report - macro - refering to the biggest structure - meso - the intermediate structure - micro - the smallest details
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abstract
The acoustics of a space spread much further than simply the sound effects of a space. With the contemporary technologies the term relates to the whole performance of an auditorium. That can be divided into three leading categories : geometry,
function and materials.
Therefore the 21st century theatre is much more than an arranged space of strictly measured rigid particles, it becomes a machine of interconnected fractions that create a whole experience. The theatre becomes an instrument. A show of senses. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how such space can be achieved, looking at the traditional examples, innovative examples, and finally suggest an experimental combination of technologies. The can be divided on layers as : supportive, technical, and acoustic; all of which combine the performance of the space. Those will be implemented in the design proposal for Theatre of All Seasons. The building as an instrument - tunable. This technology report is a study of specific acoustic attributes that can be used to tune and retune the performance space in the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens Theatre. They are inherent properties of specific materials and can be amplified by manipulating the form and overall geometry of those materials. The theatre can in form be synchronized easily to deliver the desired configuration by reconfiguring its internal surfaces.
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chapter l - the QUESTION / ISSUE / PROBLEM introduction to the specifics site project abstract + history building program iteration 00 iteration 01 - what is missing ? synthesizing and framing the technical focus - designing a technically efficient tunable acoustic space desired result - implemented into the final iteration of the design process
In this first chapter will be given an overview of the design project, with its specific site, and building program as well as the initial concept drawings. ... the questions that are raised from the first iteration of the building proposal form the problem that needs to be resolved in this report and shape the specific technical focus.
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00 - the site Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens
macro
Lambeth, London
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01 - the project Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens Theatre + historical episodes Project abstract
The initial idea of the project was triggered by the historical value of the site. The Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens in the 18th century were the heart of London when it came both to social entertainment and technological advances. What was specifically extraordinary about the Gardens was Jonathan Tyers’ aspirations to promote the importance of art, music, design and architecture to all levels of the community. My motive was to embrace Tyers idea and develop my project into a new type of Theatre for the 21st Century. The specific programme develops as a interactive adaptable building with three separated and still interconnected time-activated structures: - 01 -winter - inspired by the fine marble statue of Handel - 02- spring/autumn - the Orchestra - 03 - summer - the outdoor supper rooms The key space of the report is the summer one - where the auditorium is situated. It will accommodate versatile performances and adapt to the desired technological requirements. The social purpose of my design project is that the users of my building would learn about the rich history of Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens and experience the theatrical atmosphere of the past. I was able to allocate my site properly after first doing investigation on the levels of sunlight and sound, and figuring out which area would suite the spatial requirement of the programme best. The best position is next to the entrance of the gardens - Glyn Lane, Kennington Lane.
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- sound measurement form the site of the building - showing the dB levels of it are suitable for a building that would not require outside sound insulation
MAXIMUM MINIMUM
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 Vital project talk with VPG expert David Coke helped me to locate all important building, and to begin developing a precise digital three-dimensional VPG model, layered above the current site.
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building program - small scale theatre for 50 - 80 people
organogram of the theatre showing spatial arrangements on different levels
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iteration 00
spatial arrangement in the initial concept
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- each space has different environmental conditions and requires a specific approach for achieving the best possible sound qualities - similar to how a guitar has to be tuned depending on the performance - and so does an auditorium -
Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens park
section iteration 01
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key technical questions The topic of focus in the report will be achieving an adequate and working solution to the problems raised in the process of designing the 00 working proposal and the following 01 iteration - to fix the shape, materiality and adaptability of the auditorium so after the completion of the technological study the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens Theatre can be re designed as rigorously and specifically as possible.
HOW ? QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED with this report:
- how do you achieve an acoustically tunable space? - what are the factors to be considered ? - what is the effect of the shape of the space ? - what is the effect that different materials have on the acoustic environment ? - how to structure the result of all research and aplly it ? - what can I add that is innovative to the topic?
...
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MACRO - MESO - MICRO - zooming into the details from the bigger scale so the extracted information can be connected into a functioning organism of the space
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chapter ll - RESEARCH technical case studies of successful buildings
01 - geometry - Walt Disney concert hall 02 - function - The CKK Jordanki Multi Purpose Concert Hall 03 - material - The Elbe Philharmony
This chapter unpacks the technical issue into three categories - geometry, function and material, in order to research and then extract key technologies used in successful projects .
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01 - geometry - Walt Disney concert hall - the concave walls of the exterior are an optical illusion Architects : Frank Gehry Acoustical Consultants : Yasuhisa Toyota and Nagata Acoustics Location : Los Angeles, CA Project Year : 2003 Area : 200000.0 ft Focus of case study - the macro structure - shape of the acoustic ‘‘box’’ The Walt Disney Hall is famous for its metallic exuberant exterior but the interior space of the auditorium is what has to be appreciated in Ghery’s design. The overall geometry creates great acoustic atmosphere for the installation of the organ.
macro
Juxtaposing in / out of the building is specifically interesting in this case the structure normally would not suggest an astonishing difference - this construction proves that an auditorium has to be insulated from the exterior in order for both of them to serve their purpose.
- interior view juxtaposed to the famous exterior (ArchDaily, 2017)
the acoustic panels of the interior - all convex surfaces
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chapter ll - RESEARCH - the geometry of the auditorium is designed to fight any sound contaminating reverberation THE ACOUSTIC BOX HAS NO FLAT OR FACING SURFACES
>>> that helps for an even distribution and no delayed sound echo by the principle of convex reflection - sound reflection is controlled on the macro scale - the whole interior (as shown below ) is a self dependent instrument - the acoustic ‘‘ box ‘‘ is highlighted and analysed
AUDITORIUM AND OUTDOOR AMPHITHEATRE
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02 - function - The CKK Jordanki Multi Purpose Concert Hall The Concert Hall Architect : Fernando Menis Location : Torun, Poland Area : 21837.0 sqm Focus of case study - the meso structure - mechanisms of tuning the acoustic ‘‘ box ‘‘ the architect’s saying “I wanted to make an auditorium that has the best efficiency possible, one that can adapt to different events and various capacities for public, and even to be able to house several independent acts simultaneously,” said Menis. “It may change from performance to performance, like a sponge.” “Thanks to its dynamic ceiling, the building can be tuned to effectively absorb symphonic performances, chamber, theatre, opera, and film and meet any acoustic requirements the theatre designer requires,” he added. “While the concert hall’s outer skin remains rigid, inside, the building acts like a fluid that brings together the different functions, its many different co-existing elements, slowly combining them and playing off each other,” he said.
meso
The concert hall may also be opened to the outside, allowing outdoor performances and the use of the park for events. The design is open and permeable, it allows people to pass though it toward the square, providing a complete and continuous connection to the public. (WIRED UK, 2017)
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chapter ll - RESEARCH meso layer - provides the crucial connection between the macro structure ( the generic form ) and the micro structure ( the individual panels)
6 main rearrangements are suggested by the architect but in this case we are looking more specifically into three theatre configurations : - opera - drama - outdoor auditorium - diagrams on the next pages reveal how the space is shaped and re- tuned for specific performances
- section showing 5 of the 6 devices used in achieving the configuration of the space
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meso
02 - function - The CKK Jordanki Multi Purpose Concert Hall
OPERA
DRAMA
OUTDOOR AMPHITHEATRE
- sound absorbing curtains over the proscenium - higher ceiling for longer reverberation time is required for opera and concert performance - audience seats are redesigned to the further end of the space
- lower ceiling for shorter reverberation time - seat are closer to the stage singe sound levels do not get amplified to the levels of a musical performance
- close to anechoic environmental conditions - suitable for concerts and technically amplified performances considering the lack of surfaces will not cause noise contamination - mixed frequency sound such as white noise will not disturb the clearness of the acoustics
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chapter ll - RESEARCH EXTRACTION One of the leading factors is the location of the Torun Concert hall being next to a park. The open air stage is a unique method of changing the ambiance of the space; gives possibility for the vital for the project connection to the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens to become explicit. What is also relevant to my project is the functionality and adaptability of the space. The auditorium and the stage can be rearranged to suit the desired conditions - in the case - acoustic flexibility and seasonal flexibility. The adaptable acoustic properties come from the fluidity of the interior of the building - the static construction of the outside will serve as a framework giving flexibility of the inside shell.
3 additional configurations ( do not apply to the focus)
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03 - material - The Elbe Philharmony
Architects : Herzog and De Meuron Acoustical Consultants : Yasuhisa Toyota Location : Hamburg, Germany Seating: 2,100 people Focus of case study - the micro structure - the key panel elements in the acoustic ‘‘ box ‘‘
micro
“vineyard” form (pioneered by Hans Scharoun’s 1963 Berlin Philharmonic
- 10 000 uniquely carved gypsum fibre panels ( see next page )
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chapter ll - RESEARCH The auditorium was sound designed by Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota - one of the best in the field. The entire surface is one enormous Helmholts resonator - uses the alveolate coat of the building as an instrument that by itself clears out low frequencies.
clay, gypsum and similar Earth originated materials have an acoustically proven throughout history beneficial effect - porosity and air tightness >> qualities that suggest good vibrance absorging
- even more specifically , the cavities seen on the surface of the dome use the technique of the Helmholds resonator -
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03 - material - The Elbe Philharmony 1 - behind corridors 2 - walls alongside seating 3 - general 4 - dome corpus 5 - ceiling
Every surface is covered in a pitted mineral texture of little stalactites, CNC- milled from gypsum fiber board, that compresses and expands as it ripples around the room, mapping the invisible mechanics of acoustic absorption and reflection. A huge pendulous mushroom plunges down from the ceiling, serving as both an acoustic reflector and a space-age chandelier. (Wainwright, 2017)
2 - honeycomb pattern dents
1 - mesh like holles
micro
sound absorbing
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chapter ll - RESEARCH
- software algorithm used in designing the specificity of each section of panels
5 - gradient hills
4 - cuts
3 - inverse pyramids
sound reflecting
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The chapter adds typical and general acoustic principles so they could be combined in the discussed in the previous chapter. By taking the key technological elements from chapter ll and adapting and improving them to suit the project, in the shaping of the ‘‘acoustic box’’
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chapter lll - TEST / PROOF technical investigation analyzing the factors to create specific attributes that will tune / re - tune the interior of the auditorium
study of architectural acoustics continued 01 - geometry - form - size 02 - function - opening in stage 03 - materials
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study of 01 - geometry
Yasuhisa Toyota - shoe box into a complex space - he use it as an outline and structural support of the actual interior shaping the room - compromising between clear sound and rich sound NOT needed if the space is tuned thoroughly
- do not forget about sound from the audience !
reflections in a literal shoebox shaped room
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construction ‘‘ box ‘‘ the structure around the acoustic box
- designing an acoustic box a space with enough structural independence from the rest of the building which is
outside
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acoustical ‘‘ box ‘‘ the organism inside of it
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study of 02 - function
The idea of an opening stage mechanism comes from the concept of linking the building physically to the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The problem is that there is a dead end road ( that leads just to the parking of the building facing the south facade) between the site where the footprint of the building lays and the park, so ideally there should not be a rigid structure obstructing it. So the opening gives the opportunity for a summer theatre - a seasonal folly that can be exposed to face the park when the road is not being occupied.
AUCKLAND STREET OPEN STAGE / DIRECTION
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physical section model of the opening
Physical 3D concept model in scale 1:50 - CNC cut plywood - showing platform opening in the same three stages as the drawing
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study of 03 - materials what happens when a sound wave encounters another matter? when sound impinges on a surface such as one found on a building’s interior: - some of the energy passes though. - some of the energy is absorbed and reassigned as heat inside the molecules that are inside the building material, and they are affected by the sound energy they move and by rubbing together they accumulate some of the energy through friction. - some of the energy is reflected. all three are happening simultaneously, therefore all materials TRANSMIT, ABSORB & REFLECT those acoustic qualities depend on: - material mass - surface smoothness - fiber orientation - porosity - air tightness - stiffness
the transmission is the least desired quality of materials and will be disregarded because the examined space is purposely shelled in the core of the building from the majority of undesired sound sources
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range of human voice
extraction: the proportion of sound reflection / absorption is cru-
cial when choosing a material or a combination of materials.
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- light also is transmitted in waves, so the principles of reflection and dispersion are very similar. in this example light is going to be used to represent sound in a simple material and form test, because that can be documented visually much more explicitly since some light waves fall in the spectrum that the human body can assimilate in this experiment can be observed : - intensity - clarity
physical 3D model out of clay / gypsum - using light to show where sound waves would hit - more light - better acoustic reflection
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innovation
what about the observer ? - one particular thing was not ackgnowledged in any of the examples that I observed was the audience.
- looking into numbers it could be said that the ratio between performers and audience is ( even in the smallest theatre ) at least
- every auditorium is designed with consideration of the stage and the performance - all resources are put into enhancing the sound coming from it
1: 10 - the conclusion is that more people are capable of producing more noise regardless the circumstances, and in a space such as a cinema, concert hall, or a theatre, that noice is not desired
- but acoustic engineers tend to forget about the audience
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chapter lV - APPLICATION results from the report applied to the building
This chapter reveals the application of the decisions made in the report and the outocome of the research that followed them. It is revealed in technical drawings demonstrating the vital idea of the technical subject matter of the dissertation. The final proposal of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens is in the progress of development after the innovations made in its most important space - the auditorium. It be developed around the acoustic box, assisting it but not intruding. (for details - apendices)
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technical sections
macro
ceiling configuration for drama
final design PANELS - ceiling - reflecting layer - absorbing layer - walls - reflecting layer - absorbing layer
scale : 1 : 70
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chapter lV - APPLICATION ceiling configuration for opera
scale : 1 : 70
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meso
the mechanism
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chapter lV - APPLICATION
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micro
- the ceiling panel design - stage facing side - audience facing side
absorbing noise from the audience
reflecting and dispersing the sound from the stage
scale : 1 : 10
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chapter lV - APPLICATION
- the back wall panel design - individual gypsum scale coating
scale : 1 : 5
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conclusion
Even in the 21st century, the perfect acoustical system cannot be created. With all the technological advances acoustic engineers can only aid their work, but not make it impeccable. A rigid space would not be able to come close to the efficiency of an organism of synchronously operating set of gears. That is why the best approach would be to segregate the layers of the entity of the space, divide it by meaning, scale and agility, determine their occupation, design their particles and after all of that is done combine them back into a strictly manipulated apparatus. The new designed auditorium of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens Theatre combines its macro form with the performative meso to operate the micro sheet of carefully put together materials. Three layers of tools that are by their nature technically distinctive but interconnect to trigger a mutual reaction. The acoustic conditions inside of it will not be superb and spotless, but they will be adaptable - capable of a constant change and versatility. That is the reason behind the comparison of the auditorium to a musical instrument - it is not about what the guitar is, but how its tuned and who is playing it.
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As Alan Joslin, lead architect of a major concert hall project have said : ‘‘ Acoustics is the paramount feature. We don’t want to do anything in the design that is not carefully evaluated in regards to its acoustic performance or effect. ’’ (REF) Thus, a building proposal such as one for a theatre should never be created any further without first taking care of the acoustic conditions. It shall be designed around the auditorium, wrapping its auxiliary spaces to serve the grand chamber, not to agitate it.
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References ArchDaily. (2017). AD Classics: Walt Disney Concert Hall / Frank Gehry. [online] Available at: http://www.archdaily.com/441358/ad-classics-walt-disney-concert-hall-frank-gehry [Accessed 6 Apr. 2017]. Archipendium. (2017). Multifunctional Concert Hall Jordanki, Torun, Poland | Cultural Building. [online] Available at: http://www.archipendium.com/en/architecture/multifunctional-concert-hall-jordanki/ [Accessed 6 Apr. 2017]. Brewer, J. (2017). The Jordanki concert hall, Poland, by Fernando Menis - onoffice magazine. [online] Onofficemagazine.com. Available at: http://www.onofficemagazine.com/architecture/item/4787-the-jordanki-concert-hall-poland-by-fernando-menis [Accessed 6 Apr. 2017]. Etherington, R. (2017). Elbphilharmonie by Herzog & de Meuron | Dezeen. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2010/05/28/elbphilharmonie-by-herzog-de-meuron/ [Accessed 6 Apr. 2017]. Gibbs, B., Goodchild, J., Hopkins, C. and Oldham, D. (2010). Collected papers in building acoustics. 1st ed. Brentwood: Multi-Science Publishing. Mairs, J. (2017). Fernando Menis cavernous concert hall in Poland uses crushed brickwork. [online] Dezeen. Available at: https://www.dezeen. com/2016/02/02/ckk-jordanki-concert-hall-torun-poland-fernando-menis-crushed-brick-concrete/ [Accessed 6 Apr. 2017]. Parkin, P., Humphreys, H. and Cowell, J. (1979). Acoustics, noise and buildings. 1st ed. London: Faber. Templeton, D. (1999). Acoustics in the built environment. 1st ed. Oxford [etc.]: Architectural Press. Templeton, D. and Lord, P. (1986). The architecture of sound. 1st ed. London: Architectural. Toyota, Y. (1999). Acoustical design of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 105(2), pp.987-987. Wainwright, O. (2017). ‘We thought it was going to destroy us’ … Herzog and De Meuron’s Hamburg miracle. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https:// www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/nov/04/hamburg-elbphilhamonie-herzog-de-meuron-a-cathedral-for-our-time [Accessed 6 Apr. 2017]. WIRED UK. (2017). Gallery: This shape-shifting concert hall can move in all directions. [online] Available at: http://www.wired.co.uk/gallery/adjustable-concert-hall-ckk-jordanki-gallery [Accessed 6 Apr. 2017].
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