Performing arts buildings include various types of cinemas, theaters, theaters, audio-visual rooms, exhibition rooms, studios, recording rooms, and other multi-purpose hall buildings.

The acoustic design of performing arts architecture involves structure, shape design, sound quality design, and sound insulation. For performing arts buildings with natural sound performances, acoustic design mainly focuses on architectural acoustics, such as concert halls with natural sound performances.

Since the 1980s, several newly designed concert halls have increasingly emphasized the requirements for acoustic environments. Even professional music halls hope to beautifully showcase different styles and types of music.

These cannot be achieved even with high fidelity and high-end sound reinforcement systems. And through architectural acoustic design, it can be turned into reality.

Such examples are everywhere, such as the Boston Concert Hall in the United States (1900), the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall (1973), and the Birmingham Symphony Hall in the United Kingdom (1991).

Many people mistakenly believe that for some performing arts buildings that use sound reinforcement (such as most modern theaters that use sound reinforcement), as long as there is a high fidelity sound reinforcement system, it can meet the performance requirements of the theater.

In fact, the effectiveness of a sound reinforcement system cannot be separated from the construction of sound. Without a good sound design as a prerequisite, even a good sound reinforcement system cannot be fully utilized.

Because the sound reinforcement system cannot eliminate various sound quality defects such as sound staining, sound focusing, multiple echoes, and trembling echoes.

For performing arts architecture, the concept of acoustic design should be introduced in the early stages of architectural design. And it runs through the entire process of architectural and decorative design from beginning to end. Only in this way can high-quality performing arts buildings be built.

1、 Overview of Acoustic Design for Theater Buildings

The function of modern theaters is to integrate the performance of drama, drama, opera, song and dance, folk art, and music.

It is particularly important to meet the requirements of architectural acoustic design while meeting the multifunctional needs of the theater.

The acoustic design of theater architecture involves structure, shape design, sound quality design, and sound insulation.

For natural sound performances, the focus is on performance architecture and architectural acoustic design. Acoustic design should be considered simultaneously from the beginning stage of architectural scheme design.

Acoustic designers should participate in the entire process of civil and decoration design. At each stage of engineering design, it should be synchronized and closely coordinated with relevant design disciplines.

Note: Those primarily focused on sound reinforcement are not subject to this restriction

The volume calculation is bounded by the large curtain line. The stage is equipped with a music cover, which should be included in the volume calculation.

The extended and island stages are not subject to this restriction.

According to the "Code for Acoustic Design of Theater Buildings" JGJ 57-2000, theaters can be divided into four levels: special, A, B, and C.

The volume of each seat in the audience hall should comply with the following regulations:

Drama and theater should not exceed 1200 seats. Song and dance theaters should not exceed 1800 seats.

2、 Relevant standards and regulations for acoustic design of theater buildings

(1) GB/T 50356-2005 "Code for acoustic design of theaters, cinemas, and multi-purpose halls"

(2) Code for Acoustic Design of Theater Buildings (JGJ 57-2000)

(3) Environmental Quality Standards for Noise (GB 3096-2008)

(4) Design Specification for Hall Sound Reinforcement System (GB 50371-2006)

(5) GBJ76-84 "Measurement Specification for Hall Reverberation Time"

(6) "Building Sound Insulation and Absorption Structures" (National Building Standard Design Atlas 08J931)

(7) Code for Indoor Environmental Pollution Control in Civil Building Engineering (GB50325-2001)

(8) Code for Fire Protection Design of Buildings GBJ16-1987 (2001 Edition)

(9) "Code for Fire Protection Design of Interior Decoration of Buildings" (GB50222-95)

3、 Sound Quality Design in Theater Architecture Acoustic Design

(1) Reverberation time

Specification requirements: GB/T 50356-2005 "Code for acoustic design of theaters, cinemas, and multi-purpose halls"

The ratio of various frequencies in the theater audience hall to 500-1000Hz

Reverberation time frequency characteristic ratio

The sound quality of the audience hall should ensure that there is appropriate relative intensity, early stage sound intensity, clarity, and fullness throughout the audience area. During the performance, there shall be no identifiable sound defects such as echoes, multiple echoes, trembling echoes, sound focusing, and resonance in any position within the audience hall, and there shall be no interference caused by equipment noise and external environmental noise in the theater.

(2) Solution

1. The stage space of the extended stage is combined with the audience hall to form the same reverberation space, and the reverberation design is carried out according to the same space.

2. The space inside the stage acoustic reflector belongs to a part of the audience hall space, and the reverberation of the audience hall with stage reflector should be designed separately.

3. The stage and music pool should be designed with acoustics.

4. Canopy

The suspended ceiling near the stage is made of double-layer 12 thick Ette board, or other equivalent acoustic reflective materials. The installation area is m2, and the ceiling shape is a progressive wave shape. The specific specifications and shapes of the ceiling can be found in the CAD drawings. The remaining part of the ceiling is made of perforated sound-absorbing material and glass wool.

5. Wall

MLS diffusers are installed on both sides of the wall near the stage entrance. In order to avoid acoustic defects such as echoes, strip perforated sound-absorbing structures are arranged on all the back walls. Due to the need to control the reverberation time of the entire audience hall, a certain amount of acoustic material is required, and the rear wall area is insufficient. Therefore, a perforated sound-absorbing structure is installed at the rear of the side wall.

Code for Acoustic Design of Theater Buildings (JGJ57-2000)

The capacity of each seat in the audience hall

Audience reverberation time setting

6. Stage

The stage floor adopts double-layer wooden flooring. The stage and the audience hall are connected through the stage entrance, forming a coupling space. In order to avoid the adverse effects of the coupling space on the audience hall and meet the listening requirements of the actors, the reverberation time of the stage is similar to that of the audience hall. Therefore, fabric sound-absorbing panels are installed on the walls facing the audience, and wooden slotted sound-absorbing panels are installed on the walls on both sides of the stage,

7. Ground level

The ground is made of wooden flooring with reflective properties.

8. Seats

In order to reduce the impact of the audience on indoor sound quality, the sound absorption of the seats should meet the following requirements:

 Seat Sound Absorption Performance Table

The surface layer of the seat is made of woven fabric, which has good sound transmission performance. The upper part and both sides of the backrest are made of non perforated reflective surface material, and the lower surface layer of the seat is made of perforated material.

9. Other functional rooms

The ear light room is equipped with full frequency sound-absorbing materials, while the projection room, private room, etc. are arranged with sound-absorbing, reflecting, diffusing and other acoustic materials according to the design standards.

4、 Sound insulation in acoustic design of theater buildings

Solution

1. The walls and roofs of the audience hall should be treated with sound insulation and vibration reduction.

2. The audience hall should use rest halls (corridors), front halls, etc. as one of the sound insulation measures. The entrance of the audience hall should be equipped with sound barriers and soundproof doors.

3. The intermediate frequency (500-1000Hz) sound insulation when the observation window in the sound control room is closed is ≥ 25 dB.

4. Doors leading to the outdoors should use soundproof doors.

5. The intermediate frequency (500-1000Hz) sound insulation of the enclosure structure of the simultaneous interpretation room should be ≥ 45dB. The reverberation time for the voice control room and simultaneous interpretation room should be 0.3-0.5 seconds, and the noise generated by the air conditioning system should not exceed NR-25.

6. The noise during the opening and closing of the stage curtain should not exceed NR-40 in the middle of the first row of the audience. The operating noise of the lifting orchestra and other mechanical equipment should not exceed NR-45 in the middle of the first row of the audience

7. Equipment rooms such as air conditioning rooms, fan rooms, cooling towers, refrigeration rooms, and boiler rooms should be kept away from the audience hall and stage. When connected to the main building. Good noise reduction and vibration isolation measures should be taken.

8. Ventilation or air conditioning systems should adopt noise reduction measures, and the noise transmitted to the audience and stage through the air outlet should be 5 dB lower than the indoor allowable noise standard.

9. When the ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration rooms are adjacent to the audience hall and stage, sound insulation measures should be taken, and their sound insulation capacity should be such that the noise transmitted to the audience hall and stage is 5 dB lower than the allowable noise standard. Vibration reduction measures should be taken for power equipment.

5、 Material requirements for acoustic design of theater buildings

(1) The ceiling, walls, and floor decoration materials of the audience hall (including the music pool) should not be lower than A1 level. When B1 level decoration materials are used, corresponding fire protection facilities should be installed.

(2) The keel materials used for ceiling and wall decoration should all be A-grade materials.