The hall currently hosts a diverse programme of music and theatre, including concerts for television broadcast and is in need of extensive renovation. Munro Acoustics have been tasked with giving the hall's acoustics a complete overhaul.
Managing director Andy Munro said: "It is a great honour to be selected for such a prestigious project but I do not underestimate the technical challenges involved. Fortunately, we have been working on similar auditoria concepts for some years now and we have proven the techniques that will enable our design to achieve the client's objective of a truly flexible performance space."
The hall was originally designed in the early 60s to achieve a very short natural reverberation time, with the acoustics controlled by an elaborate system of loudspeakers in the sidewalls and ceiling. This system was generally considered to work well, however the limited signal-to-noise ratio and relatively low feedback level (compared to today's standards) have resulted in the loudspeaker system becoming redundant.
In June 2008, Munro Acoustics carried out extensive acoustic measurements of the existing hall to determine its suitability for the proposed use and to identify any potential problems that would need specific attention during the renovation works.
A design principle has now been agreed with the client and work has started on modelling the new acoustics of the hall. Munro Acoustics are proposing to retain the low natural reverberation time in the hall and install a new electronic acoustic enhancement system to achieve widely variable acoustics. Technological advances since the original installation will allow for much greater flexibility, control and processing power.
(Lee Baldock)
