INTRODUCTION
As part of the building project for this school, a new rehearsal and performance hall (KIPO) is designed. This hall is intended to be a versatile multipurpose performance and rehearsal venue. Acoustically the hall is designed to meet the requirements of Norwegian Standard NS 8178:2014 for rehearsal and performance spaces. Therefore, the acoustic volume and interior finishing are designed for optimum loudness in combination with a natural Reverberation Time of 0.9 second (500/1,000 Hz octave bands) for amplified speech and music, as well as to allow implementation of an assisted acoustic system to increase the Reverberation Time, considering other relevant parameters such as acceptable loudness (Strength G) for a wide range of rehearsals and performances and an EDT/RT ratio of 90%.
The hall is designed as a flat-floor auditorium in which the audience and the stage area are in the same acoustic volume. There is no separate stage house or fly tower. The audience seating is in front of the stage on telescopically retractable raked platforms (amphitheatre) to provide good sight lines as well as a strong direct sound (hearing lines). There are 339 seats as amphitheatre plus 50 on stage floor level. The stage is expected to be equipped with theatre curtains: a backdrop and legs on either side. There will be a few trusses for stage lighting of theatre productions etc.
OUR WORK
SIAP has deployed the latest Mark V-64 / Dante processor, providing the room with all conceivable acoustic capabilities. The design includes 48 uniformly distributed loudspeakers and eight microphones, with each loudspeaker (channel) having unique dedicated impulse responses (early and late reflections). One of the key features of the hall is the acoustically transparent wall panels, behind which the loudspeakers are concealed, ensuring a seamless integration into the venue’s aesthetic while contributing significantly to the acoustic experience. Special thanks to our Norwegian system integrator, Benum Norway AS, for their exceptional work in building and setting up the entire AAS system. We also extend our gratitude to COWI for their invaluable expertise in coordinating the acoustic design, including the specifications for the AAS presets, seating layout, and acoustic treatments, ensuring the optimal outcome for both the hall and the system.
THE RESULT
A versatile, beautiful culture hall that is acoustically adjustable to all types of performances by simply selecting the appropriate presets. All the loudspeakers are driven by 8-channel Dante amplifiers (LEA), and one can easily switch between SIAP presets using a dedicated fixed control panel, an iPad, or via QSYS, which makes life easy for anyone assisting with the performance at that moment.
The ambiance preset ‘lifts’ the hall acoustics when using a PA system. The speech control function makes announcements prior to or after concerts clean and intelligible; when activated, the active acoustics decrease by 12dB during speech and subtly increase to nominal levels afterward. The RT (Reverberation Time) can be selected between 1.0 and 3.0 seconds in a number of steps based on the just noticeable difference of about 10% between presets. This range includes presets for ambiance with a PA, Theater, Brass band, Piano (Jazz/Pop/Classical), chamber music, medium or large orchestra, vocal group, and choir. Additionally, there are three surround presets created which can route the 16 line inputs to loudspeaker (groups).