Auditorium Acoustics and Architectural Design

As performance art forms have developed over the centuries, so too have the specialized buildings to house them. Functionally and acoustically, the special properties of a particular room type enhance the quality of a performance, raising artistic and production standards. Modern concert halls and opera houses are now very specialized buildings with special acoustical characteristics. Michael Barron explores these characteristics in his comprehensive book Auditorium Acoustics and Architectural Design . As he explains in his introduction "As with all buildings, structural needs can build freedom and architectural style is a balance between respect for precedents and current fashion. But for auditoria, there are the additional constraints in planning for good visual conditions and sightlines, of meeting certain social demands in regard to layout of seating and not least providing good acoustic conditions". This book is an important resource for architects, engineers and auditorium technicians.