
July 3, 1998

Building for that perfect sound

DJC Special Showcase: Benaroya Hall

BY JERRY CRAIG
Journal city editor

LMN Architects and acoustical consultant Cyril M. Harris are combining the shoe box design of Benaroya Hall's auditorium with state-of-the-art materials to achieve maximum acoustical warmth and balance.

The inner wall and ceiling surfaces of the main auditorium are finished in patterns of heavy plaster and wood panels, both sound-reflecting surfaces, to diffuse sound evenly throughout the room.

The stage will be enclosed in a permanent acoustical "shell" that will channel sound out to the audience and also to the musicians on stage.

Benaroya rotunda

The large rotunda captures light from the south.

Benaroya Hall's audience seating area and stage will be contained in an interior auditorium, completely separate from the rest of the hall and isolated from any exterior noises.

The siting of Benaroya Hall brought with it some unique challenges. A railroad tunnel runs diagonally beneath it, and a bus tunnel is located beneath Third Avenue on the building's east side.

In order to absorb the noises of the tunnels, a slab of concrete more than 6 feet thick was poured under the hall.

To prevent vibrations from below, the wood floor of the stage and auditorium will be set on a sub-frame system that "floats" above the concrete main floor. Helping support the 27-million-pound auditorium are 310 rubber bearings, each 15 inches square.

Harris is a professor of architecture and electrical engineering at Columbia University, specializing in acoustical design in architecture. He has consulted in the acoustical design of more than 100 performance halls. Among them are the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.

Harris has worked closely with Mark Reddington of LMN architects to achieve the best acoustics possible at Benaroya Hall.