Acoustical design of the Marienkirche concert hall, Neubrandenburg

Abstract

St. Mary’s medieval gothic cathedral in Neubrandenburg, Germany, was ruined at the end of World War II. Two decades ago a decision was made to turn it into a concert hall. The design started in 1996 with the architectural competition, won by Architects Pekka Salminen. The hall will be a combination of old brick walls and mullioned windows, joined with modern glass and concrete. The back wall and the ceiling are made of glass. An audience of 1200 maximum is divided into three blocks: stalls, a balcony, and a tier behind the stage. The initial properties were promising: rectangular, 21 m wide, 18 m high, and with inherent diffusion. The acoustical design was challenged by the restriction of not to touch the old restored side walls. A full-audience reverberation time of 2.0 s was set as a goal. Other objectives were moderate reverberation rise in bass, strong spaciousness and lateral energy. The acoustics were designed with a computer using the Odeon hall design program. Main new elements of acoustical control are a cloud array above the stage, triangular sails near the side wall cornices, and glass reflectors beside the stage. The hall is expected to be inaugurated in autumn 1999.