Structures Change Sound

Once you start building walls creating interior spaces, sound behaves in ways demanding attention. Most architects and “civilians” don’t consider this crucial aspect of interior design.

Referring to the video above, obviously, I am not criticizing Eero Saarinen; I love that building. But I’m not setting up monitors in front of the TWA Terminal, nor would I want to stay there very long.

How do structures affect the sound engineer? In many ways. To get started, read some material by Wayne Parham regarding wavefront launch when using loudspeakers in a room:

Speaker Placement and Wavefront Launch

Bass hogs: Parham is one of the leading designers of subs and here is his method of arraying them to solve the “room problem:”

Room Modes, Multisubs and Flanking Subs

General info and background reading for above:

High Fidelity Uniform Directivity Loudspeakers

Vid was shot under that curved structure, main entry.

Lovely little lounge has parabolic ceiling
which focuses voices back into the center of your skull.

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