Acoustics of Northrop Memorial Auditorium

Abstract

The Northrop Memorial Auditorium is a multipurpose hall with a seating capacity of 4800 in the auditorium and a hundred or more on the stage. It is unique among halls of its size in having, perhaps, the smallest volume per seat (~210 ft³/seat) and the lowest reverberation time (0.94±0.1 sec). The paper presents the results of measurements on (1) reverberation times, (2) noise levels, (3) sound-pressure-level distribution, and (4) intelligibility of speech. By comparison with previous measurements, the acoustical results of some changes made in the auditorium have been assessed. It is hoped that, in turn, these measurements will furnish a reference point in evaluating the outcome of a major remodeling the hall is about to undergo. An attempt is made to relate the physical measurements to the psychoacoustical responses experienced in the hall. The role of sound reinforcement systems in determining the subjective response and hence in choosing a suitable reverberation time for multipurposes halls is discussed briefly.