{"title":"An archaeoacoustic study on shape: the case study of the Iffland Theatre’s history (1802–1817)","authors":"Barteld N.J. Postma, Brian F.G. Katz","doi":"10.1051/aacus/2023046","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Previous studies have discussed six pre-Sabine quantifiable guidelines employed in room acoustic design: voice directivity, audience rake, “echo theory”, stage acoustics, reverberation, and length, width, and height ratios. Around the turn of the 18th century, these notions led to two shapes that were theoretically regarded optimal for rooms with acoustical demands: ellipse and semi-circle. The first of these shapes to be tested was the ellipse in the design for the Iffland Theatre (1802–1817). As the resulting acoustics were notoriously poor, contemporary architects and acousticians discussed the grounds for the failed acoustics as well as possible corrections. Multiple subsequent halls were also based on lessons learned from this acoustic failure. As part of this archaeoacoustics research, geometric acoustic numerical simulations were employed to estimate the actual and renovated room acoustic conditions. Three configurations of the hall have been reconstructed. Results show that the hall’s shape led to sound focusing and that the rounded proscenium arch likely induced echoes. Proposed solutions of the time to increase the scattering or absorption appear unlikely to have solved the observed acoustic problems.","PeriodicalId":48486,"journal":{"name":"Acta Acustica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.0000,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Acta Acustica","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1051/aacus/2023046","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"ACOUSTICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Previous studies have discussed six pre-Sabine quantifiable guidelines employed in room acoustic design: voice directivity, audience rake, “echo theory”, stage acoustics, reverberation, and length, width, and height ratios. Around the turn of the 18th century, these notions led to two shapes that were theoretically regarded optimal for rooms with acoustical demands: ellipse and semi-circle. The first of these shapes to be tested was the ellipse in the design for the Iffland Theatre (1802–1817). As the resulting acoustics were notoriously poor, contemporary architects and acousticians discussed the grounds for the failed acoustics as well as possible corrections. Multiple subsequent halls were also based on lessons learned from this acoustic failure. As part of this archaeoacoustics research, geometric acoustic numerical simulations were employed to estimate the actual and renovated room acoustic conditions. Three configurations of the hall have been reconstructed. Results show that the hall’s shape led to sound focusing and that the rounded proscenium arch likely induced echoes. Proposed solutions of the time to increase the scattering or absorption appear unlikely to have solved the observed acoustic problems.
期刊介绍:
Acta Acustica, the Journal of the European Acoustics Association (EAA).
After the publication of its Journal Acta Acustica from 1993 to 1995, the EAA published Acta Acustica united with Acustica from 1996 to 2019. From 2020, the EAA decided to publish a journal in full Open Access. See Article Processing charges.
Acta Acustica reports on original scientific research in acoustics and on engineering applications. The journal considers review papers, scientific papers, technical and applied papers, short communications, letters to the editor. From time to time, special issues and review articles are also published. For book reviews or doctoral thesis abstracts, please contact the Editor in Chief.