During the Classical period of Mozart and Beethoven, Music pieces were composed in formal halls. Orchestras and concerts became a thing then. ‘Altes Gewandhaus’ is a structure in Germany that seated about 400 people with the orchestra located on a raised platform at one end occupying about one quarter of the floor space. The room had a reverberation time of about Figure 6: Teatro Olimpico, Italy
1.3 seconds and was lined with wood paneling, which reduced the bass build up.
Shoebox Halls: Several orchestral halls were constructed in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries that were known for their fine acoustics and for their influence on later buildings. They are all of the shoebox type with high ceilings, multiple diffusing surfaces, and a relatively low seating capacity. The oldest is the ‘Stadt Casino in Basel’ in Switzerland, which was completed in 1776. 13
