Abstract
Architectural acoustics of contemporary sacred buildings is still an under-appreciated issue. Many contemporary churches are not functional enough due to acoustic defects which occur there. The study discusses issues of the modern Catholic church, where acoustic problems surface as high reverberant noise levels. The building under investigation, i.e. the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the biggest contemporary church in Poznań, Poland, as its internal volume amounts to 16,800 m³. On the basis of in situ investigations, a computer model of the church was built and a series of simulations were carried out to determine correct treatment in order to achieve satisfactory acoustic conditions. The main assumption was to find such a solution as not to affect the modernist architecture of the church.
Highlights
Architectural acoustics of contemporary sacred buildings is still an under-appreciated issue
The main acoustic problem occurring in this type of buildings is excessive reverberation time, which is caused by application of sound reflecting materials and lack of details
For the assumed acoustic treatment, the mean reverberation time T30 = 2.5 s, which is compliant with recommendations stating that T30 should be within the range between 1.5 to 3.3 s
Summary
On the cusp of the 1970s and 1980s, sacred buildings in Poland varied in terms of internal volume. In the case of the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when the permit had been granted, a huge two-storey facility was erected. It has been a place of worship for residents of a few housing estates. As the process of obtaining permits to build religious facilities was fairly complicated, it was decided that the administrative and the housing spaces would be part of the church without a separate parsonage (Raczkowska, 2001). The building is covered with a shell roof with a construction leaning on steel spans, which was extraordinary at the time the church was being erected. The geometry of the plan is both symbolic and functional; as the altar is placed on the top of the parabola, it becomes a spatial highlight monopolizing attention of believers
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