|
|
 |
Hummingbird
Centre,Toronto, Canada
“Solution
of acoustic deficiencies at the Hummingbird Centre in Toronto required
a team to address all aspects of the work. A proposal to install an
electronic enhancement system led to four areas of work: system design,
acoustic analysis, aesthetics, and structural engineering for system
support.
 Neil
Muncy & Associates and Steve Barbar of LARES® Associates were
responsible for system design; John O’Keefe of Aercoustics
Engineering Ltd., performed acoustic analysis; Tom Payne of Kuwabara
Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects provided the design concept for
integration of the electro acoustic system into the existing wood
paneled wall; Yolles Patnership were the structural engineers; and
Richard Smerdon of Theatre Consulting Group designed the methods
of installation. Installation was carried out by the theatre’s
own staff. Acoustical testing indicated that the LARES® system
alone could not correct all of the problems and that a substantial
amount of passive diffusion was required.
O’Keefe indicated, ‘Our scale model study suggested that
we could not eliminate the side wall echo with stepped diffusors.
The optimized curved diffusor design gave us the extra few dB we
needed to solve the problem.’
The parameters of performance and architectural requirements were
established and RPG® developed a diffusor to meet these needs.
They were custom fabricated to specific dimensions dictated by the
existing wall panels and included features to facilitate site installation.
Approximately half of the diffusors incorporate enhancement speakers
in a way that makes them unnoticeable to the audience. The architect’s
design follows a distribution pattern producing a ‘fabric weave’
on the wood walls that blends as a natural part of the auditorium
decoration. Both the acoustic and architectural requirements have
been well served.”
|
| Installed
Products |
|
|
|
|
|
