The Art of Acoustics
Opera Orlando’s home venue Steinmetz Hall is world renowned for its state-of-the-art acoustic design.
Tenor Ben Gulley and Soprano Marnie Breckenridge in Opera Orlando’s production of Lucia di Lammermoor.
World Class Acoustic Hall in Orlando
The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts opened its doors in Orlando in 2014, and the Center added Steinmetz Hall designed by Barton Myers in 2022. Steinmetz Hall is said to be one of the world’s most acoustically perfect spaces and proves to be the ideal setting for Opera which does not use amplification for the singers nor for the orchestra. Steinmetz Hall was designed to achieve an N1 sound rating, the lowest level at which humans can detect sound, the perfect setting to hear the natural, unamplified beauty of the human voice soaring over a live orchestra.
The multi-form venue is also one of the few theaters around the globe that can transform in shape, seating, and sound. The stage, walls, and floor lengthen, shorten, or lower to adapt to seating arrangements and layouts for various performances. It is designed so each attendee can still see and hear without obstruction with a capacity ranging from 1,200 to 1,500 people.
Its cherry wood seats with tamarind faux leather were provided by Series Seating. And these seats add to its charm and wonder by moving in and out of the floor. The theatre’s design is accomplished using innovative technology.
As Steinmetz Hall is a multi-form theatre, it easily transforms to accommodate for a wide range of performances. One moment it can be arranged for the Opera and the next to a concert hall with 360-degree seating. A complex “cassette” structure is the key to its movement.
Inside the hall, there are special acoustic panels that move while huge rubber pads with air in them diminish vibration under the hall. Steinmetz Hall’s N1 rating basically works by isolating the room using the rubber pads at its base. Florida soil tends to transmit noises well, so that aspect was kept in mind during the theatre’s creation to prevent noise from the outside trying to reach in. The hall is entirely encased in a concrete frame. Between the hall and frame are hundreds of steel and rubber isolation pads that deaden vibration and noise from outside.
The hall also features a system of 70 adjustable banners installed by Wenger/JR Clancy. Different fabric options were pondered over to attain a range of symphonic adjustability, before eventually deciding on a heavy wool serge in two layers. With its flexible structure and audio quality, the long-awaited Steinmetz Hall is truly an acoustic feat. Check out the great acoustics in the videos below.
Inspirations for the design
The original idea for Steinmetz Hall started back in 1984 with a feasibility study, followed by further strategic planning work, concept designs, and the two-phase construction of the center. And Millie Dixon, director and project manager, led the project to what we see today. “From the earliest conversations with the client, this hall was always going to be a multiform space” stated Millie Dixon. "It was intended to become the new home for the Orlando Philharmonic, Orlando Ballet, and Opera Orlando—in addition to welcoming performers from all over the world.” But, she says, “site constraints ruled out dedicated auditoriums for each of those performance types—and a business plan also supported the idea of a shared space.” So, a multiform hall was identified as the best solution to meet the community’s needs.
The design of Steinmetz Hall was actually influenced by several past projects. “It combines the intimacy, theatricality, and flexibility of those spaces. But we also drew inspiration from other large multipurpose and multiform venues that we’d worked on over the years” stated Theater Projects founder Our founder, Richard Pilbrow. He cites projects such as Derngate, Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, Blumenthal Performing Arts, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Overture Center for the Arts, Dubai Opera, and the Royal Opera House Muscat as other inspirations for the Steinmetz Hall design.
The result was a unique room that can transform in shape, size, and seating; where the audience is always as close to the stage as possible and the acoustics are always perfect, creating a vibrant and intimate performance environment. Read full article HERE.