Artec News Update June 2011
Work on concert hall reaches swift tempo
by Arthur Kaptainis | The Gazette | June 15, 2011
According to Étienne Lavoie-Gagnon of SNC-Lavalin, the maze of cables that will support acoustic reflectors above the stage – used to adapt this fundamentally symphonic hall for chamber and pop performances – constituted the biggest engineering challenge.“You don’t see all that,” he said of the mechanism above the ceiling, “but it was very complicated.” There are three balconies, each with relatively minimal overhang – one of many acoustic considerations. The top gallery looks steep, but Diamond [ chief architect ] says that even high-altitude customers will enjoy excellent sightlines. “It’s a democratic hall,” the Torontonian said. “There are no good or bad seats.” Tateo Nakajima, managing partner of Artec, the New York firm hired by Quebec as an acoustical overlord of the project, predicts differences in audio perception between sections but cautions that precise forecasts are impossible. Read the article
HARPA: Reykjavík Concert and Conference Center
Iceland's hall comes through hard times
by William Littler | The Toronto Star | May 20, 2011
By all accounts, Icelanders have already taken Harpa to heart, and no wonder. Henning Larsen Architects of Copenhagen have worked with artist Olafur Eliasson to give the Icelandic capital an iconic building, in collaboration with Artec, the New York-based acoustics - and theatre-planning firm responsible for the successful acoustical renovation of Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall. Read the article
Palladium measures up, as do those performing
by Jay Harvey | The Indianapolis Star | May 23, 2011
Under music director Franz Welser-Most, the Cleveland Orchestra made its first local appearance in a generation, confirming Carmel's much-ballyhooed new concert hall as a top draw for classical concerts. . . . The acoustical capacity of the Palladium was gloriously challenged, and seemed to meet every demand. Read the article
