What Is so Special about Shoebox Halls? Envelopment, Envelopment, Envelopment

Abstract

Studies by Ando (1985) and Beranek (1996, 2004) have identified quantitative factors that contribute to hall quality. In approximate order of importance, these are: (1) listener envelopment, that is, the sense of being surrounded by sound, in particular, in the time period greater than 80 milliseconds after the arrival of the first sound; (2) reverberant character, usually quantified in terms of the reverberation time; (3) diffusion, an important factor contributing to envelopment; (4) sound strength, as determined by taking measurements at various seats throughout the hall of sound delivered from a In spite of many attempts to surpass the sound quality obtained from shoebox shaped concert halls, this traditional design continues to lead the pack in sound quality ratings. In Leo Beranek’s careful surveys of concert halls and opera houses (1962, 1996, and 2004), four of the five highest ranked halls in the world have a rectangular shape. A deeper understanding of what differentiates them from surround halls, fan shaped halls, or many other configurations will enable designers and architects to achieve a higher level of acoustical excellence in modern concert halls.