Acoustic Venues

opera houses · concert halls · event arenas · open-air theatres · plenar halls · assembly rooms

Acoustic Venues

www.MuellerBBM.com

Everything for a Superior Tone

The acoustics enhance the interpretation Acoustic venues deeply influence the cultural life of a city – not only by providing locations for artistic events but as architectural symbols themselves. Theatre, concerts, operas, musicals, lectures and films all demand spaces in which to be effectively presented; spaces which determine not only the visual but also the acoustic quality of such experiences.

This is where Müller-BBM focuses its expertise.

Individual experience – objectifiable values

Every space has its own unique sound

Irrelevant whether building a new construction or renovating an existing structure: we are always concerned with that critical area of tension which lies between ­individual experience and objectifiable values in our pursuit of a specific, customized result. Since 1962 we have been supporting clients, architects, technical planners and users with our expertise in room acoustics, structural and electro-acoustics in addition to sound immission and vibration control in numerous countries throughout the world. Thus, we are able to contribute, through constructive and mutual collaboration, to the overall success of individual building projects.

The starting points from which we address each and ­every project are always the individual goals and conditions. We then develop the planning fundamentals ­based upon these determining factors. This does not mean, however, that only the optimization of objective acoustic criteria, for example ideal reverberation times, is important. We also consider factors outside our field of immediate expertise, like the subjective impact of colors and materials, the value of high-quality rehearsal con­ ditions and much, much more.

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A reliable and competent partner Nationally and internationally recognized artists should be welcomed with more than just objectively advan足 tageous conditions; they must also perceive them to be so. Only then is it possible to achieve the superior performances which delight audiences and critics alike. It is, of course, the performers who finally make a venue resound. In order to create optimal conditions we carefully examine both the existing conditions and the individual objectives of the project, develop a design solution and supervise its implementation. We are thus able to guarantee that the high acoustic standards demanded for a project are actually achieved.

We would like to present some chosen examples of our work; demonstrating just a small selection of the services we offer. If you are interesting in knowing more about a particular theme we would be delighted to present our work in detail to you personally.

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Working in Harmony with the Past

Acoustic measures with consideration for the historical framework By way of an array of concealed detailing, our acoustic solutions can be carefully coordinated within existing historical built fabrics – irrelevant whether the project is one of renovation, restoration, extension or historical reconstruction.

Teatro La Fenice, Venice, Italy [ 2002 ] 1,000 seats »Com´era e dov´era« – as it was and where it was. The burnt out Venice Opera House »La Fenice« was to be resurrected; the phoenix was to rise again from the ashes, albeit with modern technical, stage and air-conditioning services and additional rehearsal rooms, in spite of its confined location between Venetian canals.

The elaborately decorated tiers of the classical, ­horse-shoe shaped »Sala Teatrale« are supported by hidden, larch-wood scaffolding while a similarly effective timber frame is concealed behind the acoustically optimized molded ceiling. As in the original design, the parquet is carried by an enormous resonating body also constructed of timber. Excellent conditions, there­fore, for incomparable sound demonstrating even longer ­reverberation time than in Verdi’s era – in keeping with contemporary expectations.

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Roman Theatre at Orange, France [ 2006 ] 9,000 seats

Vienna Concert House, Austria [ 2000 ] Great Hall with 1,800 seats

This construction, dating from the time of Caesar ­Augustus, has long been the scene of many magnificent cultural events. Our task was to protect the more than 100-meter-long and 37-meter-high end wall from climatic influences without impairing the legendary historical acoustics. Out of respect for the ancient aesthetics of this protected heritage site, the architects developed a lightweight, transparent structure. Computer simulation and laboratory experiments of innovative materials and highly specialized detailing established the basis for a transparent, sound-absorbing roof construction which is simultaneously capable of withdrawing discreetly from the colossal roman walling.

The Vienna Concert House is considered to be one of the best in the world. In addition to providing additional technical plant for air-conditioning and illumination, it was required that the acoustics be further improved upon while the historical built fabric was not to be injured in any way. These apparently conflicting requirements were reconciled by the development of acoustic wall constructions which did not visually vary from their historical predecessors.

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Creative Freedom

Individual acoustic solutions for exceptional situations Our expertise encourages the development of ambitious forms.

One of our goals is the optimal integration of acoustic treatment into architectural compositions.

Parco della Musica, Rome, Italy [ 2002 ] Sala Santa Cecilia with 2,850 seats

Hangzhou Grand Theatre, China [ 2004 ] Opera House with 1,800 seats

The sheer size of this concert hall, the largest of three independent halls in the complex, presented a particular acoustic challenge. Spanning more than 55 meters, the timber roof structure contains insulation material which acoustically protects the space from external ­noise. ­Double-curved ceiling elements of various radii be­ neath the roof ensure an even dispersion of sound and the desired reflections. By completing intensive model ­experiments and computer simulations it was possible to avoid delayed echoes in spite of various acoustically reflective areas on walls and ceiling.

Designed by the Uruguay architect Carlos Ott, the Grand Theatre is a complex comprising three performance ­venues which can be used in parallel; the Opera House with 1,800 seats, the Concert Hall with 800 seats and a Black Box space with 500 seats for a variety of performance alternatives.

The Opera House is designed to host western-style opera performances and has an integrated orchestra pit.

Due to the optimization of the room acoustics, however, Chinese operas, where the orchestra is located at the side of the stage, also benefit from the highest quality sound production. Chinese operas require different acoustics in order for the entire spectrum of the high frequency of Asian musical instruments to be advan­ tageously presented.

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Auditorio di Tenerife, Santa Cruz, Spain [ 2003 / 2004 ] Grat Hall with 1,600 seats Santiago Calatrava’s eye-catching, light-reflecting crescent soars 50 meters into the sky and has become a highly recognizable symbol. Thanks to the variable acous­tics, the great hall can accommodate not only operas and concerts, but also pop music and shows. By way of simu­lation and comparative examinations it was possible to harmonize these novel, innovative spatial forms with exceptionally high quality acoustics familiar from many illustrious classical concert halls.

Chiesa di San Pio da Pietrelcina, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy [ 2004 ] Church with 6,500 seats – Piazza for 30,000 The pilgrimage church dedicated to Saint Pio has a spiritual attraction which extends far beyond southern Italy.

The spiral shaped church, designed by Renzo Piano, is dominated by the structural stone arches and crowned by the vaulted ceiling above.

The sheer magnitude and unique architecture of the church demanded an optimization of the acoustic relationships within the space. It was possible, with the assistance of absorbers and highly-developed electroacoustic techniques, to enable both the devoted within the church and up to 30,000 pilgrims in the forecourt to be involved in ceremonies transpiring at the altar.

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Symphony of Engineering Skill

Good acoustics – a blend of understanding and inventive planning As a result of our knowledge and experience in the field of the expansion of music and its effect on the human ear, we are able to technically and abstractly define the relationship between musicians and their audience. Thus, in collaboration with architects, unconventional and often extraordinary design solutions can be created.

House for Mozart, Salzburg, Austria [ 2006 ] 1,600 seats

Niccolo Paganini Auditorium, Parma, Italy [ 2002 ] 800 seats

The Salzburg Festival celebrated the Mozart Year 2006, with a new opera and concert house located on the site of the former small festival hall. The rounded form with a curved rear wall is reminiscent of historical examples.

The sloping parquet level and graded first and second balconies offer not only uninterrupted sightlines, but also excellent direct sound at all seats. The audience is enveloped by the sound and acoustically involved with the performance on the stage. When desired the opera house transforms into a concert hall by the application of a specially designed orchestra shell.

The architect Renzo Piano caused a semi-transparent concert hall to be erected where trees once grew between the decaying walls of a former factory. Although transversely restricted by the existing walls, the glazed front and rear elevations allow the space to become ­visually open.

The effect of bright reflections occuring on the glazed facades is neutralized by meter-high, ­rotating reflectors located at the back of the hall ­behind the ­audience, and absorbers mounted to the ceiling limit ­resonance to the desired level. The acoustics are controlled and directed into the space by horizontal, staggered reflectors suspended above the podium and audience.

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Essen Philharmonic Concert Hall, Germany [ 2004 ] 1,900 seats

Auditorium for the Banca Popolare di Lodi, Italy [ 2002 ] 800 seats

This new construction, within the historic walls of the Essen »Saalbau«, is predominantly used as a concert hall independent of any form of electro-acoustic techno­logy.

The floor of the parquet level is completely variable in height thus being easily transformed into a space for conventions or other large-scale functions. The Essen Philharmonic Concert Hall is an acoustic space which enables precise interpretation of not only baroque, classical and romantic but also modern music.

This cylindrical construction, symbolically reminiscent of a repository bursting with money, was initially intended to function solely as a space for spoken events within the complex built by the Banca Popolare di Lodi. The acoustic requirements of the space were extended with the desire for the room to also function as a concert hall. Thus the lower wall panels were sloped in order to prevent the sound from focusing in the center of the room, and customized tiles with convex surfaces ­further enhanced the acoustics. Plaster objects, similar to champignons, are suspended from the ceiling; they are responsible for the dispersion and controlled direction of sound toward the audience.

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Diversity of Functions

Flexible solutions for spaces with a variety of acoustic facets Modern auditoriums are highly complex spaces which, rather than being designed for a single musical genre, must be capable of supporting a huge variety of performance alternatives.

When so desired, we design venues to be acoustically flexible for a wide spectrum of musical uses – by way of electro-acoustic techniques as well as conventional structural measures.

Megaro Mousikis, Athens, Greece [ 1992 ] Friends of Music Hall with 2,000 seats

Festival and Congress House, Bregenz, Austria [ 2006 ] 1,800 seats

This structure was completed many years after the ­death of the architect, Prof. Heinrich Keilholz. The task was to fit out the existing concrete structure in such a way that not only symphony performances would profit from ­advantageous acoustics, but also that operas, ballets, conferences and films would also be benefit.

The key to this is the ability to totally recompose the concert hall as desired: sliding elements in the area of the podium enable space to be created for a stage and its mechanics, an orchestra pit and a proscenium. The meta­ morphosis of the space enables the reverberation time to be reduced from 1.9 to 1.3 seconds, an ideal acoustic situation for every alternative performance type.

The Bregenz Festival House was renovated for the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the festival and was designed to successfully accommodate congresses, operas, lyric theatre, concerts and much more. It was therefore necessary for the building to be acoustically equipped to deal with an extensive range of performances.

Optically speaking, the ceiling is a grid construction; this is, however, acoustically transparent. By applying ceiling voids and optimizing materials it was possible to maximize the volume of the space in order to extend the reverberation time by half a second.

Adjustable fabric coverings in the ceiling cavity enable technicians to adapt the acoustic characteristics of the space to the various functions which are to take place.

It is, therefore, possible to provide acoustic clarity for spoken events and congresses on the one side, and to create quite different effects for concerts and orchestral rehearsals on the other.

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Jahrhunderthalle, Bochum, Germany [ 2003 ] Hall 1 with 2,600 seats

Helmut List Hall, Graz, Austria [ 2003 ] 1,300 seats

This former industrial building, which is larger than a soccer field, now plays host to a multi-functional space for theatre, concerts, pop and other shows. It is there­ fore necessary for both stage and seating to remain exceedingly flexible. Specifically developed simulation software determines the optimal location of the mobile sound reflectors which are mounted on ceiling bridges along with other technical equipment. Absorbers located in the roof structure and curtains for subdividing the hall into various zones contribute to further reduce the reverberation time from the original ten seconds to two.

This concert hall, which is also used for theatre performances and exhibitions, is located in a former industrial hall. The extreme variability of the space could only be achieved by determination of the acoustic goals early in the planning process. The result is a space in which stage, podium and seating area are all flexible. Intricate, double-layered curtains reduce the reverberation time and ensure variable acoustics which can be manipulated and creatively applied. Among the fixed acoustic equipment are triangular, folded timber side walls which are specifically responsible for the control of flutter echoes.

Acoustically permeable, stainless-steel mesh walls at the front and back of the hall conceal absorbers – for both low-frequency and wide-range frequency sounds – from the audience.

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Clear Communication

Optimal acoustics for dialogue and discussion The monumental dimensions of contemporary spaces often present specific problems in regard to the acoustics. Particularly important goals are the natural and realistic reproduction of the spoken voice and the spatial localization of speakers. Only then can the audience sit back and concentrate on the content of the address.

Lingotto, Turin, Italy [ 1995 ] 2,000 seats

National Convention Center, Hanoi, Vietnam [ 2007 ] 3,700 seats

Where the legendary car test track was once in opera­ tion on the roof of the Fiat factory, an underground hall has now been constructed in one of the three internal courtyards. An acoustic separation joint between the building and nearby hotels, shops, and exhibition and trade fair areas avoids the transfer of structure-borne sound. The unique capacity of the Lingotto is the mov­ able roof, which alters position depending upon whether the space is to be used for a concert or a conference.

While a high ceiling is advantageous for music, lending a desirable reverberance and resonance, a low ceiling is preferable for clear speech by ensuring more immediate sound reflections.

Although the conference hall in Vietnam’s capital city is predominantly designed for speech, the application of electro-acoustic facilities enables it to also be appro­ priate for musical performances, for example pop music.

Then it is necessary to employ loud speakers directed toward the audience. The huge volume of the space (53,000 m³) demanded numerous sound absorption measures which needed to be reconciled with the archi­ tectural concept and could be executed with the ­locally avail­able building materials. The reverberation time could be reduced by the development of saw-toothlike wall fans. The lightweight metal roof was enhanced to such an extent by an acoustically effective internal construction that even monsoon rains cannot be heard from inside the building.

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Bavarian State Parliament in the Maximilianeum, Munich, Germany [ 2005 ] Plenary Chamber

German National Parliament in the Reichstag Building, Berlin, Germany [ 1999 ] Plenary Chamber

An illuminated glass ceiling, glass panels in the walls, the volume of a concert hall – the renovation of the state parliament included a variety of elaborate goals.

The principal ambition was to create a sufficiently muted space with good vocal acoustics. Laboratory experiments determined the basis for a range of important acoustic measures: reflective wall surfaces were deliberately ­directed and resonating panels were installed in the front wall for the absorption of low frequencies.

Additionally, the members’ desks were enhanced with sound absorbing front panels. Air permeable carpets laid on the perforated access floors not only permit ventila­ tion, but also enhance sound absorption.

The plenary chamber of the German national parliament has the dimensions of a church and is one-and-a-half times larger than the Berlin Philharmonic hall. In order to ensure ideal conditions for vocal acoustics it was necessary to optimize all acoustically relevant building elements by conducting laboratory tests, computer ­simulation and building demonstration models. Even the wall supporting the symbolic German eagle functions as an acoustic body.

The accessible glass dome, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Berlin, also demanded skilled acoustic treatment. Visitors can stroll the dome without ­disturbing the politicians below in the plenary chamber or the parliamentary party rooms. .

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Mßller-BBM is an internationally active consultancy with more than 250 employees to be found at different locations within Germany, and represented by numerous project offices throughout the entire world. Our independent consultants, planners and technical specialists advise our clients and take ­leading roles in the expert fields of buildings, environment and technology.

Since the establishment of the company in 1962, we have been successful in the planning of cultural and event venues; concert halls, opera houses, theatres, open air stages, congress centers, plenary chambers, conservatories of music and churches. We support clients, architects and users in all phases of planning in the field of acoustics and beyond – individually, competently, interdisciplinary, and with a wealth of experience accumulated from a multitude of projects both nationally and internationally.

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cover photo

Franz Liszt Concert Hall, Raiding, Austria [ 2006 ] Chamber Music Hall with 600 seats The birth house of Franz Liszt in the town of Raiding in Burgenland was converted into a museum and extended by the addition of a chamber music hall nearby.

Heavy, convex, vaulted softwood panels on the ceilings and walls in combination with an optimal volume lend the hall excellent acoustics for piano concerts, chamber music performances and smaller orchestral pieces.

Photographic credits: © Auditorio de Tenerife/ José Ramón Oller © Vienna Concert House / Herbert Schwingenschlögl © Imagepoint.biz © Müller-BBM Archive We would like to express our gratitude for permission to publish these photographs.

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