ARCHITECTURE - Auerbach Consultants...room; they match the color tones and mesh with the predominant architectural gestures.” “The natural acoustic was inspired by the sound of

66 • June 2013 • Lighting&Sound America

ARCHITECTURE

eiji Ozawa Hall at TanglewoodMusic Center, nestled in thelandscape of Massachusetts’

Berkshires, serves as BostonSymphony Orchestra’s summeracademy for advanced musicalstudy. The venue’s main features,including wooden surfaces and awide door opposite the stage thatleads into an outdoor seating area,has become the model for a numberof concert-hall designs within anatural setting.

When Sonoma State University, inRohnert Park, California, made thedecision to add a new concert hall,the organization chose to emulatethe look and ambient feel ofTanglewood Music Center in Lenox,Massachusetts. As SSU presidentRuben Armiñan recalls, “We went toTanglewood to listen to music andwere having a picnic on the lawnwhile a trio from the BostonSymphony was playing. The soundwas spectacular, so we went into thehall. The openness and congruity of music andperformance was amazing. I said, ‘This has to be inNorthern California, at Sonoma State.’” The resulting Joanand Sanford I. Weill Hall within the Green Music Center,which opened last September, is on the Sonoma StateUniversity campus in the heart of California’s wine region,just north of San Francisco.

William Rawn Associates served as project designerfor Weill Hall, working closely with AC Martin asexecutive architects, Kirkegaard Associates asacousticians, and Auerbach Pollock Friedlander as

theatre consultants. BAR Architects served as archi-tects for the hospitality center, music education wing,and the planned Schroeder Hall; Rudolph and Slettenwas the general contractor. Christopher Dinno,Sonoma State University’s senior director for facilitiesmanagement, capital planning, and design, headed theproject administration team. The Santa RosaSymphony is Weill Hall’s resident orchestra; SanFrancisco Symphony also held a four-concert seriesduring the current season. The total estimated cost forthe project was $148 million.

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The exterior of the Sanford I. Weill Hall, with the rear wall of the auditorium open to the lawn.

TanglewoodSonoma State University’s Joan and Sanford I. Weill Hall

draws inspiration from a modern classicBy: Mel Lambert

Model

The

Indoor/outdoor hall designThe initial concept, formulated in the 1990s for SSU’sGreen Music Center, involved building a choral recital hallfor the campus; this plan expanded into the establishmentof an arts center. “Extensive acoustical and theatricaldesign went into creating an environment almost identicalto that of Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood,” says LeonardAuerbach, lead theatre consultant from Auerbach PollockFriedlander. “We were approached by Floyd Ross, theowner representative for Sonoma State University, toengage in a programming study for the new music school;the basic concepts for the venue were defined in thatstudy, prior to the involvement of architects. The universitywas looking to replicate the acoustic experience of OzawaHall with its hybrid indoor/outdoor design,” which led to thehiring of William Rawn and R. Lawrence Kirkegaard, whowere principally responsible for the design of Ozawa Hall.“Bill and Larry were tasked with creating a new concert hallthat would honor the spirit and sonic quality of Ozawa Hall,while drawing on the special physical and cultural environ-ments of the Sonoma County setting,” Auerbach says.After more than a decade of planning, fundraising for theproject slowed in 2006. In 2011, Joan and Sanford I. Weilldonated $12 million to complete the concert hall andadjacent lawn area.

Weill Hall is a traditional shoe box-shaped building with1,400 seats custom-designed by Auerbach PollockFriedlander with input from the university, Kirkegaard &Associates, and ergonomic consultants from SeatingDynamics. Fabricated by Theatre Solutions from Europeansteamed beech wood, each seat features an open backand a burgundy cushion. Total capacity is 784 on theorchestra floor, 312 in the first balcony, and 321 in thesecond balcony.

The hall’s internal construction features a combination ofbeech, white maple, and Douglas fir. Large windows linethe north and east walls, with seating areas on a mainorchestra floor, two side galleries that connect to a chorusbalcony at the rear of the stage, and an upper balcony inthe hall’s rear. As a nod to Ozawa Hall, an operableacoustic wall at the back of Weill Hall opens onto terracedpatio levels and lawn seating. “This will be a very importantacademic building with the ability to be used for concerts, P

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“Extensive acoustical and theatricaldesign went into creating an envi-ronment almost identical to that ofOzawa Hall at Tanglewood.” –Auerbach

Fabricated by Theatre Solutions from European steamed beech wood, each seat features an open back and a burgundy cushion.

performance, and conventions, as well as education,”Armiñan states. “Developing a world-class performing artscenter will help our students understand the perspectivesof others, contributing to the creation of more globallyaware, collaborative, and responsible future world citizens.”

In addition to performance areas, Green Music Centeralso houses a music education wing with classrooms,practice studios, and ensemble spaces. Schroeder Hall, asmaller 250-seat venue named by Jean Schulz in recognitionof her late husband Charles Schulz’s piano-playing Peanutscharacter, awaits final funding and completion. A plannedoutdoor performance pavilion with approximately 10,000seats will accommodate symphonic music and dance inaddition to amplified concerts, with a combination of fixedseats and lawn areas reminiscent of such venues as Ravinia,Highland Park, and the Hollywood Bowl.

Acoustically, the 38,500-sq.-ft. Weill Hall was designedto support a broad range of programming, from fullsymphony orchestra with chorus to vocalists, smallerinstrumental ensembles, solo recitals, jazz, and worldmusic. To provide a variety of flexible acoustic environ-ments for amplified performances as well as lectures, asystem of motorized sound-absorbing banners can beprogressively deployed to control reverberation time. Audioand video recording equipment has also been provided,

with full AV connectivity throughout the complex.By design, orchestra-to-ceiling height and balcony-to-

balcony width are both 53', with 75' from the front of thestage to the front face of the rear balcony, where a 20'-by-54' modular rear door runs the width of the south walland extends the hall’s reach to an additional 5,000patrons located on the adjacent Weill Lawn. The 48'-by-60' stage is made of white maple, with adjustable lifts andrisers to accommodate a full orchestra and fine-tuneensemble communications and sound on the main floor. Asystem of inverted screw jacks drives two orchestrarisers; the inner section contains retractable chevronrisers for string sections.

Initial system programming“The initial programming began independently from thedesire to base the Weill Hall design on Tanglewood’sOzawa Hall,” recalls Michael McMackin, ASTC, AuerbachPollock Friedlander’s principal project manager. “Our goalwas to merge the wide variety of year-round performanceswith the concept of a purely musical venue that would beopen-air. Working with Bill Rawn brought about a truesynergy of function and design.”

“In addition to its formal acoustic environment,”Auerbach says, “the hall provides unique staging flexibility,P

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While extensive glass windows within the hall fill the space with natural light and provide concertgoers with a view of the hills to theeast, they posed challenges for the acousticians in terms of ensuring proper bass response.

variable acoustics, overhead rigging, and backstagesupport for a variety of popular performance events. As anexample, we designed automated stage lift systems—installed by J. R. Clancy—to vary the tiered configurationof the stage for different performance ensembles. Theautomated and programmable acoustics banners arevariable but also integrated into the architecture of theroom; they match the color tones and mesh with thepredominant architectural gestures.”

“The natural acoustic was inspired by the sound ofOzawa Hall,” adds Kirkegaard. “We were charged withenhancing the hall’s capabilities and modifying theacoustic design to respond to project-specific conditions,

which is more difficult than it sounds! Compared toOzawa, Weill Hall has extensive adjustable absorption,which allows it to support amplified music performancessuch as jazz ensembles. Weill Hall also has a lot of glassthat fills the space with natural light and allows concert-goers to view the hills to the east while listening to music;we were able to accommodate all this glass and stillmaintain bass response. Another significant difference isthe hall’s acoustical ceiling, which is constructed ofwood—making it a giant sound board. A woodenconstruction was chosen to minimize the up-high seismicload—this was not a factor at Ozawa Hall, which has a

precast concrete acoustical ceiling. And Weill Hall is anacademic facility that is operated year-round; as such, itneeded a more sophisticated heating, ventilation, and ACsystem than Ozawa Hall. The mechanical system isdesigned to provide comfort any time of the year and doso quietly.”

In terms of overall planning, Kirkegaard says, “We knewfrom the beginning that Weill Hall would have to support abroad range of events; therefore, adjustable acousticswere essential to the project. There were numerousoccasions when value engineering of the absorbentbanners was considered but ultimately rejected. Thedesign team reduced the cost by moving from a custom

integrated banner system,deployed from the floor up,to incorporating into thebuilding design an earlyprototype of the acouStacvariable acoustics bannerdeployed from the topdown,” with a customcontrol system supplied byJ. R. Clancy. “Consideringthe types of events held atthe hall—from AlisonKrauss and Union Station,to Wynton Marsalis andthe Santa RosaSymphony—it’s a goodthing that the bannerssurvived the cost-cutting!”

A system of motorized,absorbent banners acousti-cally “shapes” the hall forvarious types of perform-ances. “Configurationswere determined duringsystem commissioning andprogrammed into a touch-screen control panellocated backstage,” says

Anthony Shou, of Kirkegaard Associates. The J. R. ClancyScene Control 500 is connected to a portable SiemensSimatic mobile panel that oversees movement of 44acouStaCorp acoustic banners, a pair of manual bi-partingtravelers, four motorized bi-parting travelers, and eightmotorized travelers. (acouStaCorp is part of the PDOGroup, owned by rigging specialists Pook Diemont & Ohl.)

“Internally, we had specialists who focused on roomacoustics, noise, and vibration control of themechanical/electrical systems and audio systems plus aproject manager who oversaw all three disciplines,” Shoucontinues. “What further complicated matters were the


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Patrons on the lawn get ready to enjoy an outdoor concert.


often overlapping design and construction schedules asvarious components of the facility were designed and builtin phases.”

The results of extensive testing and listening at SeijiOzawa Hall provided primary acoustic input. “In manyways, we used Ozawa Hall as a full-scale model of WeillHall,” Kirkegaard explains. “Early in the project, we createdfull-scale mockups of adjustable absorption and sound-transparent wood screens. Later on, we evaluated fabricand perforated metal for sound transparency. Duringconstruction, we tested the custom seating at RiverbankAcoustical Laboratories. These in-depth investigationsinformed the design and construction of Weill Hall.”

The hall’s permanentsound system, specified byKirkegaard Associates, iscomprised of left, center,and right clusters of d&baudiotechnik Q7 full-rangecabinets flown from thelighting truss, augmentedby stage-lip fillloudspeakers, balconydelays, and subwoofers.The d&b E6 cabinetsprovide down-fill coverage,with a d&b xS Series 10S-D for the choral terraceloudspeaker, two d&b xS10S cabinets for thebalcony, and Meyer SoundMM-4XPs underbalconyloudspeakers. Several d&bQi-SUB boxes are availableas portable mainsubwoofers, with d&b E0sfor portable front-fill stage-lip loudspeakers. Multipled&b D12/NL4 amplifierspower the LCR, subwoofer,and balcony speakers, plusD6/NL4 amps for the down-fill, choral terrace, and stage-lip cabinets. All signal distribution, delay, and equalizationis handled by BSS London processors. Crown XLS 2500amplifiers power the stage monitors.

Available microphones include Shure wireless models,AKG C480B/CK61s, Audio-Technica AT-4051a omnidirec-tionals, Audio-Technica AT-4053a and AT-4053a-ELhypdercardioids, AKG C414B/XLS large-diaphragm andAKG C451B small-diaphragm models, Neumann KMS105-MTs, and beyerdynamic M88TG handhelds, plusSennheiser MD421 IIs, Audix OM3s, Audix OM5s, ShureSM57-LC, and Shure SM58s; direct boxes include Radial

JDI-MK3 passive and J48 active models.Within the South Lawn, Electro-Voice EVH-1152D/94-PI

boxes serve as rear-wall left, center, and rightloudspeakers, with Renkus-Heinz PNX 82/9W powered byCrown amplifiers as pole loudspeakers augmented byCrown-powered JBL ASB6112WRX subwoofers integratedwithin custom, in-ground landscape elements.

“Our top criterion for the hall loudspeakers was forthem to be as discreet as possible,” Shou says. “Theselection process for the main LCR cabinets also includeda demonstration in Weill Hall, the end result being weselected d&b for the main system, which is usedfrequently for reinforced speech and commentary as well

as concert performances with the Santa Rosa Symphony.”Removable seating platforms accommodate a SoundcraftVi1 digital production console handling front-of-house andmonitor mixing duties.

“The loudspeaker system is quite modest but verycapable in terms of sound reinforcement for the day-to-day academic schedule,” Shou concedes. “Heavy amplifi-cation would be provided by temporary side stacks usedin conjunction with the permanent systems to covervarious seating areas. Typically, significant portions—if notall—of the adjustable banners and curtains would bedeployed for such events.”P

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The large, double-thickness side windows are fabri-cated with an outer 3/4" pane and an inner 1/4" paneseparated by a 1" air gap. “We angled the glass slightly byabout 1/8" per foot to reflect sound back into the audienceand prevent parallel geometry across the hall’s width,”Shou recalls. “We have proposed the addition of a recitalscreen to shield late sound from the upstage wall andprovide in-fill early reflections for the audience, which willhave a profound effect on the sound of the hall for recitalsand small ensembles.

“Although, for a whole host of reasons, the project tooklonger to complete and required more money thanexpected, the glorious results came from an unfalteringdedication by everyone involved, from construction workersto donors. There is no comprehensive model to simulate thelevel of data that the human ear picks up. So upon hearingthe first musical sounds in the hall, we were extremelypleased with the acoustics, not to speak of all the otheraspects of the completed center,” Kirkegaard says.

“Before the grand opening, we had the opportunity towork with various student ensembles, including jazz,faculty musicians, and the Santa Rosa Symphony, to fine-tune the acoustics. It was an emotional experience to hearmusic played in the completed hall. That tuning exerciseallowed us to make adjustments to the banner settings fordifferent ensembles. Furthermore, it allowed us to listencritically to the acoustics of the hall and identify opportu-nities to enhance the hall’s sound.”

Stage lighting system“Lighting positions are recessed into the architecturalceiling slots behind glass lighting bays and at theperimeter galleries,” Auerbach continues. “Due to thelong throws, incandescent sources were selected toprovide the necessary foot-candles at the music stands.The attic space is walkable and allows access to therigging beam at the architectural ceiling slots foroverhead rigging.” Rigging points and power areprovided in the attic for lighting trusses, loudspeakers,and scenic elements.

“The lighting system was designed for easy day-to-dayuse by music instructors and nontechnical staff, withenough flexibility and capacity for more demandingproductions,” the theatre consultant says. “A backstage

ETC Paradigm touch screen permits use of a generalstage wash and other presets for most performances. Theorchestra platform is illuminated by dimmed down-lights—primarily ETC Source Four PARs—mounted overhead andellipsoidal fixtures from front-light positions. ETC [Sensor+SineWave] dimmers are used for quiet operation.Additional circuits are provided in the attic, on-stage, andat the surround galleries for use with the house ETC Ion1000 lighting console with a two-by-ten fader wing or arental board.”

A total of seven ETC Sensor+ 24-module dimmerracks features 240 dimmers for production lighting and74 dimmers for architectural and house lighting; thetheatrical rig includes 110 ETC Source Fours in variousmodels and sizes.

“Realizing the design of any concert hall is a veryinvolved process,” McMackin says. “They are inherentlycomplex spaces; the interweaving of infrastructure,acoustics, architectural design, theatre functionality, and

code compliance—while all the time anticipating the bestexperience for the audience and performers—is aprocess that can easily take over a year to complete. Theteam generates sketches, renderings, physical models,virtual models, and technical drawings to study thevarious aspects of the room. This process continues wellinto the documentation phase, allowing for adjustmentsalong the way.”

“The responses we’ve received with regard to not onlythe design and acoustical quality of the hall but to theoverall experience, have been nothing less thanexemplary,” concludes Dinno. “The positive reactions fromboth audiences and artists alike have provided us withsuch strong momentum. Isaac Stern once said that,‘Everywhere in the world, music enhances a hall, with oneexception: Carnegie Hall enhances the music.’ We at theGreen Music Center know that there is now a secondexception to this rule, and that is Weill Hall.”

Mel Lambert has been intimately involved with productionindustries on both sides of the Atlantic for more years thanhe cares to remember. He is now principal ofMedia&Marketing, a Los Angeles-based consulting servicefor the professional audio industry, and he can be reachedat [email protected].

“Although, for a whole host of reasons, the project took longer to complete and required more money than expected, the glorious resultscame from an unfaltering dedication by everyone involved, from construction workers to donors.” — Kierkegaard

SAN FRANCISCO NEW YORK MINNEAPOLISwww.auerbachconsultants.com • [email protected]

ARCHITECTURE - Auerbach Consultants...room; they match the color tones and mesh with the predominant architectural gestures.” “The natural acoustic was inspired by the sound of

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