Abstract
York Minster is the largest medieval Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, renowned for its magnificent architecture and its stained glass windows. Both acoustic measurements and simulation techniques have been used to analyse the acoustic environment of its Chapter House, which dates from the 13th-century and features an octagonal geometry with Gothic Decorated stone walls replete of geometric patterns and enormous stained glass windows, covered by a decorated wooden vault. Measured and simulated room impulse responses served to better understand how their architectural features work together to create its highly reverberant acoustic field. The authors start by analysing its acoustic characteristics in relation to its original purpose as a meeting place of the cathedral’s Chapter, and end by reflecting on its modern use for a variety of cultural events, such as concerts and exhibitions. This work is part of the “Cathedral Acoustics” project, funded by the EC through the Marie-Sklodowska-Curie scheme.
Highlights
Research on the acoustics of heritage sites allows us, firstly, to understand and preserve the acoustic behaviour of spaces threatened by the passage of time, or modified by human intervention, by capturing the acoustic information digitally in the form of room impulse responses (RIR)
Measured RIR are used as a reference soundfield, enabling conclusions to be drawn from the simulations as well as making it possible for to adjust the acoustic model in order to ensure that the computational model is reliable in its simulated RIR to be used for auralisations that plausibly represent the acoustic environment of the representation of the soundfield, enabling conclusions to be drawn from the simulations as well as space under different conditions
The present paper explores the acoustic characteristics of the Chapter House of the York Minster
Summary
Research on the acoustics of heritage sites allows us, firstly, to understand and preserve the acoustic behaviour of spaces threatened by the passage of time, or modified by human intervention, by capturing the acoustic information digitally in the form of room impulse responses (RIR). Research in the field furthers our understanding on how acoustic conditions have changed over time, opening up discussions on what such changes might have meant to our ancestors and their experience of such sites. This paper focuses on assessing the acoustics of the Chapter House of the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York, better known as the York Minster. York Minster is the largest medieval Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, renowned for its outstanding architecture. The York Minster’s Chapter House is considered a remarkable piece of architecture itself and its acoustics a major feature of its character
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