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The quality of any public performing space is determined by the acoustics;
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but to get the acoustics just right is a major
challenge, especially across the three diverse halls at The Sage Gateshead.
That's why Gateshead Council appointed specialists Arup Acoustics and gave them the brief to deliver a world-class acoustic excellence throughout the building.
Each hall has a unique sound personality and provides a uniquely high degree of acoustic flexibility for different performances.
Hall One
The biggest challenge was Hall One, a room intended to rival the finest classical music spaces in the world, namely:
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the Großer Saal of Vienna's legendary Musikverein;
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and the 2,000 seat Concertgebouw in Amsterdam,
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both physically smaller halls designed in the late 19th century.
To match this level of sound quality in the much bigger
modern space of Hall One, every surface in the room is
shaped and materials chosen for a specific purpose.
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The undulating curvature scatters low frequency sound.
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The timber battens and grooves vary in size to scatter the high and low frequency sound, all of the dimensions relate to different wavelengths of sound.
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The thick timber preserves the rich bass sounds.
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Six moving ceiling panels allow considerable variation of the room height, when combined with an arrangement of moving curtains (which can cover 90% of the wall area) the room acoustics can be adjusted for different performance conditions.
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The sound system is also one of the most advanced in the world, known as 'line array' (1970's column speakers were simple line arrays). This system provides a highly
consistent, predictable and intimate sound unlike any traditional sound system.
Hall Two
Hall Two is a more intimate space, for everything from chamber music to jazz or rock and the challenge here was to adjust the sound over an almost circular form.
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A system of adjustable banners covers six of the ten wall surfaces, allowing acoustic control for all types of musical events.
The Northern Rock Foundation Hall
The Northern Rock Foundation Hall is where many of The Sage Gateshead's rehearsals take place, so the acoustics here had to match Hall One, but over a much smaller area.
It also had to provide a third performance space for all kinds of music as well as a range of learning and participation projects.
Finally, areas of the building are connected to others through an audio and video infrastructure.
This provides extensive opportunities for internal distribution of signals and for using the internet to broadcast and share activities with the international musical community.
These variable acoustic solutions are integral to the design of The Sage Gateshead, enabling it to
accommodate a broad spectrum of events.
Testing
Rigorous testing and advanced computer models were used to develop, analyse and listen to the design of The Sage Gateshead.
SoundLab, a unique tool designed for listening to the potential sound of rooms before they are built, was used to refine the detailing of each of the halls by benchmarking with world-class venues.
But don't take our word for it… go and hear for yourself.