Assignment 5 (Acoustic Research) - Charmaine Y

For most of architecture, architects are primarily concerned with how a building looks or what the occupants' visual experiences is when they navigate through a space.  But in cinema and theater design, architects have to focus on something that is not visible but still directly affects how the occupant experiences the space - acoustics.  Traditionally people who have designed with acoustics in mind have focused on live music for orchestra and other classical arts events.  But now in modern cinemas, speakers and surround sounds stereo systems are mostly used to enhance the auditory experience.  In addition to this, acoustic designers design the physical space of the theater to enhance the auditory experience.  For example, certain forms are designed to enhance characteristics of acoustic reverberation. 

Apart from the physical form, the placement of acoustic panels and speakers also changes how people hear sounds in different areas of the space.  Different genres of movies also require different acoustic experiences and speakers are programmed to play different aspects of the sound track in different locations during different genres or scenes of movies.  Architects must take into account where people sit within the space and where the sound sources are as well as what kind of experience they wish for people to have in the space they design.