Science Teaching Kit for Senior Secondary Curriculum

Wave Motion
Video:
Acoustic Design for
Auditoria
[Student notes]

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Contents
Preamble

Science | Video: Acoustic Design for Auditoria

Learning plan i

Lesson 1 : Acoustic Design for Auditoria

1.1 Properties of Sound Waves 01

1.2 Appropriate Solutions for Auditorium Design 01
1.2.1 Desired Sound Quality for Speech and Music 02
1.2.2 Reverberation Time of Sound Waves 02
1.2.3 Architectural Solutions for Desired Sound Quality 02
Exercise: Improving the Acoustic Performance of an Auditorium 03
1.3 Case study Parco Della Musica, Rome 04

Summary, Key words and Further reading 05

Disclaimer
Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part
in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) do not reflect the
views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
2012 Hong Kong Institute of Architects
Topic 04
Video: Acoustic Design for Auditoria

Major teaching areas Interdisciplinary teaching areas

Physics: Chapter III Wave Motion Design and Applied Technology:
Wave nature of sound Strand 2 Technological Principles
Noise and its controls
Values and Attitudes
STSE connections

Science | Video: Acoustic Design for Auditoria

Learning objectives
To learn the properties of sound waves
To understand the different acoustic
requirements for speech and music in an auditorium
To suggest architectural solutions for an
auditorium design in response to the properties of
sound waves

Learning plan
Lesson Contents
Lesson 1 1.1 Basic properties of sound and how they affect acoustic design
Acoustic Design for 1.2 Appropriate architectural solutions
Auditoria
1.2.1 Acoustic requirements for speech and music
1.2.2 Understanding reverberation time
1.2.3 Rationale of acoustic design for auditoria
1.3 Case study Parco Della Musica, Rome

i
Lesson 1
Video: Acoustic Design for Auditoria

...the ideal concert hall is a hall which is shaped in such a way that you do not have to adjust the sound
with absorbents. By doing so you kill off some of the sound energy, whereas if you retain the brilliance you
have much more sound energy travelling to the audience.

So rather than changing the acoustics by absorbing certain unwanted sounds or frequencies, it is better to
adjust the physical shape of the hall in such a way that you achieve the perfect acoustical properties.

Jorn Utzon, architect of the Sydney Opera House

1.1 Properties of Sound Waves

Sound is a longitudinal wave of pressure, transmitting energy from the source to the receiver through one or
multiple media, like air, water, or building materials. Acoustic design is primarily concerned with the reflections

Science | Video: Acoustic Design for Auditoria

and interferences of sound waves as they interact with each other and with their surroundings.

An auditorium is an indoor space (such as a concert hall, opera house, or theatre) where speech, drama and
musical performances are held in front of an audience. In these buildings the acoustic designer must take into
account two kinds of sound: desired sounds, like the music or speech being produced on stage, and unwanted
sounds, which might include interior noise from footsteps and exterior noise from traffic. A successful design will
enable good sound quality for desired sounds and block out most of the unwanted sounds.

1.2 Appropriate Solutions for Auditorium Design

Clarity
Clarity describes the degree to which every detail of the performance can be perceived.

Spaciousness
Spaciousness refers to the feeling of being surrounded by the sound, which seems to arrive from many different
directions at once.

01
1.2.1 Desired Sound Quality for Speech and Music
Speech
1. Speech requires shorter sound reverberation (i.e. reverberation refers to echoes and reechoes produced by
a wall bouncing back sound waves) to avoid degrading the intelligibility of the performance. Clarity is valued
over spaciousness.
2. Speech intelligibility is a non-standardized, collective measurement of sentence and syllable intelligibility and
audibility.

Music
1. Diffuse reflections are favourable for delivering consistent sound volume to all seats in the auditorium.
2. Length of sound delay is less critical.
3. A longer reverberation time is preferable for blending different sources of sound and adding fullness.
Spaciousness is valued over clarity.

1.2.2 Reverberation Time of Sound Waves Functions Reverberation times (s)

Speech Cabaret 0.8
Reverberation time measures how long it takes for a sound to decay by
60 dB after the sound source itself has stopped. In general, reverberation Drama 1.0
time is frequency-dependent (longer at low frequencies, shorter at high
frequencies). The optimum value for reverberation time depends on the Lecture 1.0
particular use and room volume. For instance, organ music sounds best in a
Music Chamber 1.0-1.5

Science | Video: Acoustic Design for Auditoria

large room with a longer reverberation time, but this type of room may not
Music
be suitable for a lecture.
Opera 1.3-1.6
1.2.3 Architectural Solutions for Desired Sound Quality
Concert 17-2.1
Through careful design of the form and materials used in the auditorium,
absorption and deflection of sound waves can eliminate unwanted Organ 2.5-3.0
sounds from internal and external sources; Music
diffused reflections and prolonged reverberation times can support p Reverberation times: optimum ranges
desired sounds; and
avoiding constructive interference of sound waves can enhance
sound clarity

02
p Reverberation times in relation to particular use and room volume (Source: Neufert Architects Data, 2002)
 [Exercise]
Improving the Acoustic Performance of an Auditorium
Complete the reflected paths of sound wave in an auditorium. What possible problems of the sound quality
can you find in the auditorium? How would you re-design the auditorium?

t Section of the auditorium

Science | Video: Acoustic Design for Auditoria

How would you re-design the auditorium?

t Section of the auditorium

03
t Plan of the auditorium
1.3 Case Study
Parco Della Musica, Rome
The Parco Della Musica is a public music complex in
Rome, located on the former site of the 1960 Olympics.
The complex was designed by the Italian architect
Renzo Piano and was completed in 2002. The three
large concert halls are expressed as separate, sound-
proofed structures, with a Roman-inspired amphitheatre
providing an outdoor venue between them.

u Lead-shrouded building envelopes effectively keep

unwanted sound from penetrating into the three
concert halls while containing the sounds of perfor-
mances within.
t The deliberately uneven brickwork on the walls at
the front and back of the middle hall has better
sound-absorbing properties than a smooth brick

Science | Video: Acoustic Design for Auditoria

wall would have. Wall and ceiling reflectors help
to direct sound to the audience. The curved ceiling
is a product of careful engineering. Secondary
reflectors are suspended from the ceiling to
enhance the acoustic effects.

p Seating levels are inclined upwards for better visual

and acoustic perception. 04
Summary
1. Sound is a longitudinal wave.
2. Acoustic design must take into account both desired sound quality and unwanted sound.
3. Clarity and spaciousness are two parameters of acoustic design for auditoria. Speech and music
require different acoustic treatments because each demands a certain quality of sound.
4. The optimum range of reverberation times of different sound waves depends on the particular use
and volume of the room.
5. The form of the auditorium, additional architectural elements and acoustic materials can improve
the sound performance of an auditorium.

Key words
Longitudinal wave Reflector
Reflection Acoustics
Constructive interference Auditorium
Clarity Sound absorption

Science | Video: Acoustic Design for Auditoria

Spaciousness
Reverberation time
Intelligibility
Echo

Further reading
1. Neufert, Ernst and Peter. Neufert Architects Data, 3rd ed. Oxford and Northampton: Alden Group,
2002.
2. Littlefield, David. Metric Handbook: Planning and Design Data, 4th ed. London: Taylor & Francis,
2012.

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