- During the Middle Ages, smell was the unspoken plague of cities. Today it is sound. Streets, public spaces, bars, offices, even apartments and private houses can be painfully noisy, grim and enervating. And we seek respite. The architects of the High Line did not focus especially on the sound of that popular elevated park.
Trust the New York Times to write an article about acoustics without consulting a single acoustician. Particularly horrific, considering modern noise abatement began in New York City. I mean, it's a lovely article but it has that archetypal, "sound is magical nobody can predict it" aspect that causes architects to not predict it. Which is a modern problem, not an ancient one. Seattle Times, July 2009: Seattle Times, August 2009: Actually, the guy who had to manage the pain-in-the-ass acoustics for that space told us to STFU and GTFO.This chapel, formerly part of a Catholic seminary, was designed 50 years ago for the purpose of communion with God. But somehow — perhaps by accident, perhaps by design — the chapel also captured that most elusive of qualities: near-perfect acoustics.
The acoustics were the result of a deliberate, painstaking design process, including numerous experiments with the help of audio-equipment experts, acoustics salesmen and even paint manufacturers.
Five years ago, I went to Italy on a cultural tour with my high school. Gave my presentation on the theaters of Pompeii to the group in the actual theatre that's mentioned on that page. I was surprised at how well the acoustics were there, especially considering it's a ruin. They really knew what they were doing.
I literally just got off the phone with an architect that we are considering for the remodel of our home. She mentioned acoustics twice as something that is worth considering in design. This was before I even mentioned the detached music studio I want her to design.
1) architects know fuckall about acoustics. She said that because it's a magical conjuring word that makes you think she's worth more money. 2) detached music studios, or music studios of any kind, provide negative equity to a home. There is literally nothing you can build that will give you less ROI. Build a workshop with really nice acoustics. You might even get some money back.
Or even "here's why the New York and Paris subways sound so different" followed by "here's why we designed the New York subway like this" and "and this is why the Paris subway sounds like this" or "Grand Central's acoustics include a whispering gallery while Penn Station was renovated largely as an afterthought for the construction of Madison Square Garden which is why it isn't particularly famous for its acoustics." Fuckin' mysticism in acoustics is so infuriating. Just ask, fuckers.