Steinmetz Hall: Damian Doria, Acoustics

Steinmetz Hall, which opened this month at Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando, FL, is an acoustically advanced theater, officially achieving an N1 sound rating—the lowest level at which humans can detect sound, thanks to the dynamic acoustic design by Damian Doria of Stages Consultants. It is also one of the rare venues that has transformable shape, seating, and sound to accommodate a variety of performances and events—amplified or not. With seating on four levels, the capacity can range from 1,597 to 1,741, depending on the desired configuration.

The design team features architect Barton Myers, theatre consultant Richard Pilbrow and his team at Theatre Projects. Part I of Live Design's in-depth coverage: an interview on the acoustic design with Damian Doria:

Live Design: Please talk about the acoustical elements that are in place to give Steinmetz Hall it's excellent acoustic rating.

Damian Doria: We focused on three main elements of acoustic design for Steinmetz Hall: sound isolation, noise and vibration control, and room acoustics. Our work on these three different areas of acoustic elements helped us achieve the N1 rating for this hall.

For the first element—isolation—the hall is technically and distinctly separated from the rest of the building. The hall basically sits on giant rubber pads, which keep it isolated from other spaces, and diminishes, if not eliminates, noise that could come in from outside of the arts center. The building houses a lot of performance activity between all the performance spaces, and two (the Pugh Theater and Judson’s) sit right alongside Steinmetz Hall. In addition, this side of the building abuts South Street in downtown Orlando, which was a concern. We measured truck traffic that at times might be audible in the halls to understand the potential impact and determine the necessary mitigation. Silence is really important for your best experience of acoustic performances. It can be really useful and invaluable for amplified events, too. 

Second is noise vibration control. We used quiet air systems, specifically designed for the space, so that they are truly silent to the audience. We isolated electrical systems from the space. Any piping and plumbing and roof drains—anything that could create water sounds - were routed away from Steinmetz Hall. And we selected quiet performance fixtures and architectural lighting fixtures, so they don't impact acoustic events. There is no sound from lights—which can be a source of audible noise. 

And last, we focused on room acoustics and the way sound moves inside the space. The towers and cassette can vary the stage end of the room and incorporate distinct flexibility. There are slots that can open in the cassette, acting like valves for sound to pass through into the stage house and either come back or be absorbed. The stage has risers for orchestras or choirs—or any large ensemble—which give an additional degree of adjustability for onstage communication. And then there's the auditorium interior itself. There's a lot of cubic volume above the visible ceiling which is not necessarily easy to notice when you're in there as an audience member, but that open space and high ceiling provide the capacity for louder works to have longer reverberation time. This is optimal for certain orchestral music, and choirs. The auditorium walls also include variable acoustic elements to adjust reverberation characteristics, mostly through fabric banners that can be lowered into place to cover the walls. 

LD: How are the HVAC and theatrical systems silenced and what are the sort of methods and manners to which they've become silenced for the listener in the hall?

DD: We took a lot of careful consideration of what systems would be used. For the HVAC systems, we started with locating machinery as far away as practical. We used low velocity airflow in the ductwork, especially as it approaches the room itself. So, air is slowed down to the point where you would barely feel it. Overall, all the systems are at a constant volume, which means they're not ramping up or down, which avoids additional noise resonances - you never hear it start or stop, since it's always on at a constant pace. We also used duct silencers and acoustic lining inside the ductwork.

We went to great lengths to find and select quiet lighting, which is a real challenge right now because the whole industry is changing over to LED lighting. The technology is kind of new and the equipment manufacturers are learning how to keep those components cooled down and silent while they're doing their job. The new lighting units we’ve selected have very quiet fans or are convection cooled. 

Lastly, the communication connectivity of the room was a factor—there's a lot of Ethernet and similar cabling, so we were careful to use quiet network components rather than typical switches and equipment.

LD: How does the hall move and flex to meet different acoustic needs?

DD: This hall is vastly flexible, able to transform from proscenium theater to a traditional orchestral hall by moving a cassette and towers. By doing so, we can create a traditional theater set up for ballet or opera, or have a fixed closed end that makes it feel like a concert hall. We can also create stage extensions to allow for more space as needed, whether that be for bigger groups, or larger theatrical needs. 

In concert hall mode, there is no secondary reverberation chamber, or sound canopy, above the orchestra. We addressed these acoustic elements in this space by knowing the optimal settings from dozens of other halls where we've done that and tracked their various settings over time. We chose the ideal geometry for this hall's size and limited the additional moving elements to a room that's distinctly flexible. 

In proscenium mode, Steinmetz can pretty much handle anything. It's a ballet/opera house that can also deal with highly amplified events very well because of the acoustic capacity of the space, and how the stage house contains the sound from stage monitors and other amplification equipment.

LD: What was the biggest challenge on this project and how is it solved?

DD: One of our biggest challenges was, simply, space. We had a finite space for the concert hall, and it had to sit alongside other performance spaces and a lobby. And the hall sits alongside a major street with regular vehicular traffic. This hall was part of the center's second and final phase of construction, and to fit it into the completion of the work from phase one, we had to consider elements as far down as the basement level of the building and all the ductwork connectivity. There was a lot of coordination amongst all the teams - designers, architects, contractors—a team of about 1000 people. We worked closely together to resolve issues and answer questions. Ultimately, we were able to meet the ambitious concept and deliver a beautiful space that's proving to offer incredible acoustics. 

Steinmetz Hall, configurations, drawings (click to enlarge PDF):

Theatre Projects

More on Steinmetz Hall:

The Evolution of Steinmetz Hall

Steinmetz Hall: Barton Myers, Architect

Key facts:

As one of the world's most acoustically perfect spaces, Steinmetz Hall will let guests enjoy a range of performances—with or without amplification—by local, national, and international artists.  Steinmetz Hall is designed to achieve an N1 background sound rating—the lowest level at which humans can detect sound.  

Steinmetz Hall is encased inside an exterior concrete frame and built on top of a floating concrete foundation. Between the theater and the foundation are over 400 isolation rubber pads that act as shock absorbers to deaden sound from traffic and passing trains, and other ambient noise.  

Concrete wall and floor thickness was increased to keep noise out.

All major building systems such as air conditioning, plumbing, and mechanical motors are located outside of Steinmetz Hall.

• The design team selected surfaces, materials, and design choices with acoustics in mind:

    1. Surfaces, walls, and fabrics were designed to promote sound movement.
    2. The seats in the Steinmetz are one inch thinner than the Walt Disney Theater seats to reduce sound absorption.
    3. The hall’s main seating level floor is wood with cork flooring throughout all levels in the theater.  Cork is naturally good at noise reduction aiding in preventing sound and vibration transmission. 
    4. Automated acoustic curtains can be deployed on house right, left and at the rear of the theater to adjust the acoustics of Steinmetz Hall. 

The acoustical reflector aides in the movement of sound:

Steinmetz Hall, acoustical reflector

There is an acoustic air gap that surrounds the theater, so when you are in the lobby, bathrooms, back of house, etc…the foundation is anchored directly into the ground. When you step over the acoustic gap, you are technically floating on sound isolation rubber pads. (See pic below, arrow shows the gap in the floor.)

acoustic arrow