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April 05, 2019
Acoustics are critically important when building a theater. The entire point of a theater is to allow a large group of people to experience a performance that incorporates sound effectively, and if you do not design your theater properly, your goal could be doomed before it even begins.
Reverberation Effects in Buildings
Knowing this, what considerations do you need to take into account when designing your theater? When dealing with theater sound, you want to think about reverberation, or how well sounds are reflected or absorbed around the room.
Although rooms where conversation is critical, like conference rooms or offices, wish to avoid reverberation as it can interfere with clear speech, an environment where you want sounds to spread around and linger prefers it. In fact, a theater with poor reverberation has a “dead” sound quality.
For this reason, most theaters are designed to be fairly round, with curves enclosing the audience. This makes it easier for the sound to bounce back toward the listeners, allowing the musical notes and words to reach the entire crowd.
Some architects may choose to add acoustic sails to the theater as well. These are large panels that can be angled to reflect sound toward various spots in the theater to optimize the audience’s listening experience.
It’s also important to note that in larger spaces, sound may not seem as loud, while in more compact spaces, it is amplified. You will have to balance your desire for a high-capacity facility with your need for high sound volume. If you do have a facility that is especially large or has very high ceilings, you will have to consider that you may have to compensate for the sound of your performance accordingly.
By the same token, if you are building a smaller space, you will need to be aware that this may limit the volume at which you want your entertainers to perform.
Acoustic Building Materials for Theaters
You may also want to consider the types of materials you are using when building your theater. Some materials reflect sound very well, while others are much better at sound absorption. Certain materials are better at amplifying wave frequencies that are desirable for theater performances and screening out ones that interfere. You may want to use different materials for different areas in the theater depending upon what their intended purpose will be.
Constructing an Acoustic-Friendly Theater
There is a lot to consider with respect to acoustics when it comes to building a theater. If your expertise is in construction but not acoustics, it will definitely be in your best interest to hire an acoustics expert during the design and construction phases of your project.
For more sound advice, visit our blog.
AuthorAbout Kellen Beaver
