Developments in building acoustics 1974 - 2014

摘要

The rather hit-and-miss days of concert hall design prior to the early 1980s are now a thing of the past for competent consultants. The important characteristics for good acoustics are much better understood, the ability to test designs before construction now exist and the status of the acousticians relative to the architect is much enhanced. For these reasons, there is now much greater confidence in acoustic design, with reasonable expectation of good acoustics in new halls. In recent years the price of success has been more conservative design with greater reliance on precedents. Nevertheless, the search goes on, more remains to be discovered in the pursuit of 'excellent' acoustics. An interesting concert hall is currently under construction in Paris, its new Philharmonie is due to open in 2015. The design of this hall explores the possibility of an auditorium enclosure surrounded by a larger volume linked by significant openings. The Institute of Acoustics will be holding an Auditorium Acoustics meeting in Paris in October 2015, linked to this new auditorium.