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Philharmonie de Paris,

the challenge
for perfect
sound
32 m
The maximum audience
distance from the stage

2,3 seconds
Sound reverberation time
The exterior designed by Jean Nouvel, in Villette park.

This concert hall aims to become the international

30 500 m 3

The acoustic volume

temple of music: hanging balconies, reflector clouds
... Visit a building outside the norm which
will open in January.
386
million euros
By Franck Daninos @fdaninos The total cost of the project
 Northeast of the capital, near Porte de Pantin, also house rooms for conferences and exhibitions the direct sound, each of our ears receiving a
workers and team leaders are pushing the pace to as well as educational workshops, a library, two different message that the brain then interprets
finish the Philharmonie de Paris on time. Eight years restaurants and eight bars. This building has been as an impression of sound envelopment. But the
after the official launch of the project, a mixture a double challenge to both architects and acoustic “presence of the room” as it is called, must also
of excitement and stress is palpable throughout engineers. How does one offer optimal visual and be nurtured by the delayed reflections (above 40
the site. This is because the deafening sound of listening conditions in a symphony hall of such a milliseconds) that, reaching listeners after multiple
drills, hammers and saws must be replaced in capacity? How to gather such a variety of musical rebounds, extend the direct sound according to a
January by the melodies of the greatest French and genres in the same location? certain reverberation time (see p. 80). However,
international musical groups. Like any enclosed space, a concert hall confines the persistence of the sound is pleasant if it
It took 60,000 tons of concrete, 9,500 tons of sound waves and distributes them in a singular decreases softly and evenly. For this purpose,
structural and reinforcing steel, 1,000 workers (at fashion, by its volume, geometry and materials, a different kind of reflection is put to use. This
the time of peak activity) and 386 million euros down to the smallest reliefs. It can therefore be reflection occurs when sound waves encounter
to build the new “temple of music” designed by seen as an instrument in itself, which is possible a relief of a similar size to their wavelength. The
star architect Jean Nouvel. The complex spans 11 to “tune”. Acoustic engineers play, on the energy is then shattered in all directions. These
levels and 70,000 square meters. The floating and propagation of waves that travel at the speed of “diffused” reflections promote the mitigation and
sinuous shape of its exterior surface evokes that of 340 meters per second in the air, losing 6 dB for mixing sounds and thereby allow a progressive
a sound wave. It encompasses a concert hall of a each doubling of distance. When they encounter decrease. “It’s the mixing of sounds produced by
new kind, able to accommodate between 2400 and a flat and non-absorbent wall, they retain much of these different types of reflections that will give the
3650 spectators. “We finally have a symphony hall their energy and are reflected much like a squash room its identity,” says Geoffroy Vauthier, technical
of international standing in France,” rejoices Laurent ball bouncing against a wall. We refer to these as manager and acoustics of the Philharmonie de
Bayle, president of the Philharmonie de Paris. “specular” reflections. If these reflections come to Paris. “For the acoustic richness of a room is as the
“But the novelty lies mainly in its versatility and the ears of the listeners with a delay of less than light of the setting sun: it fills everything it meets. ”
therefore its modularity.” Symphonic ensembles 40 milliseconds relative to the direct sound of the
do indeed represent 60% of the programming. instruments of the orchestra, they immediately
The rest is derived from jazz, world and amplified associate with them, reinforcing the power and
music, rap and electro-pop. “Our goal is to attract clarity of sound perceived . This is what acoustic
younger audiences and less so the traditional engineers call the presence of the source.
elite, and to build gateways between different Studies have shown that our auditory system
patterns of music ownership,” underlines Laurent prefers to receive a significant share of sound
Bayle. That is why the Philharmonie de Paris will reflections laterally rather than in line with

The new Parisian venue was designed to accommodate 2400-3650 spectators in optimal
listening conditions and visibility (virtual image).
 In the early twentieth century, American physicist Wallace Sabine was able to put the
architectural properties of a concert hall into a series of equations, in particular,
REVERBERATION “reverberation time,” which refers to the time required for the intensity of a sound to
reach a thousandth of its initial value, a decrease of 60 decibels. A duration that lasts

Sabine’s much longer than the volume is especially important, and inversely proportional to the
area of the room multiplied by an overall absorption coefficient, calculated from each

Formula of the materials that provide a contact surface with the sound waves (walls, reflectors,
curtains, fans, etc.). The reverberation time of a recording studio is 0.3 seconds, 1.5
seconds at the Opera Bastille, about 10 seconds in a cathedral, and 2.3 seconds at the
Philharmonie de Paris.

A mix of two existing box” the nose of each balcony and other surfaces one second)? When it is too large, the direct
located below produce reflections early and sound is masked and the musical discourse is
types of rooms laterally, magnifying the “presence” of the room. rendered unintelligible, resulting in a type of
The geometry of the room plays an important role. The clarity of the sound is accentuated by “cloud” drowned out “brouhaha.” To resolve this problem,
To optimize the Philharmonie de Paris, the architect reflectors located under the ceiling. And a platform the designers have thought of a physical and
took advantage of the two major existing forms located above the stage called a “canopy” will, in acoustic transformation for the hall. The lower
(see p. 80). First let us examine the “Shoebox.” part, ensure the return of sound to the musicians. level (ground floor and symphony stage) will be
Having a rectangular shape and balconies, it is Another innovation: the balconies will be affixed fully mobile thanks to motorized mechanisms.
very well suited to symphony orchestras, but not to the walls, allowing additional volume to emerge Telescopic bleachers will also be able to retract to
for having larger dimensions. In the other model, behind the audience where the sound flows freely, clear space for a frontal stage. Part of the audience
“Vineyard,” the audience surrounds the orchestra favoring late reflections and ample reverberation will be standing, raising the hall’s capacity to 3650
on terraces located at different levels. In the “Egg- (2.3 seconds). This, is in addition to the proximity spectators. Lastly, removable and absorbent
shaped” form, the Philharmonie de Paris retains of the orchestra, creates an unprecedented sense curtains can be used to lower the reverberation
certain characteristics of the “vineyard,” but also of intimacy and sound immersion. time.
possesses large hanging balconies projected
But how does one adapt this symphony
toward the center of the stage, reducing the
configuration to other musical styles such as
maximum distance to 32 meters. This is record for a
jazz and amplified music which require, among
symphony hall with 2400 seats. But, like in a “shoe
other things, a shorter reverberation time (about

TYPES OF ROOMS

In search of the optimal architecture

ARENA Inspired by ITALIAN Ideal for theatre SHOE BOX These rooms, like the VINEYARD The distribution of the EGG-SHAPED This type of
ancient amphitheaters, and opera, Italian style Musikverein in Vienna (Austria), audience around the stage auditorium chosen by the
arena style rooms, like in the rooms, like the Garnier are perfectly adapted for classical allows the admittance of many Philharmonie de Paris will
Royal Albert Hall in London, Opera in Paris, produce a music. Thanks to reflections listeners much like the the Berlin produce a strong sense of
carry voices well, but are sound that is too “dry” for created by the side balconies, Philharmonic Hall. The direct visual intimacy and enveloping
not suited to symphony large orchestras. It is not the sound is clear, strong and sound is reinforced by the terraces sound thanks to the balconies
music. In order to blend the projected well because enveloping. However, the sound and the geometry of the ceiling being suspended and projected
sounds and prevent their focus, the reverberation time is quality is degraded if one wants even though it is not always toward the center of the room
reflective surfaces must too short. The visibility of toincrease the width or length well distributed. However, the suspended and projected toward
be installed on the ceiling the scene is still excellent of the room to accommodate reverberation and proximity the center of the room. A physical
and “break” the concave except for at the level of more than 2000 people. of the audience are much and acoustic transformation of
shape of the walls. the box seats. appreciated. the room will also accommodate
a wide variety of musical groups.
The isolation of the hall from its noisy environment in order to obtain perfect silence, is made possible thanks to the principle of the “box within a
box”: the room is separated from the rest of the building by being wrapped in a “double skin” (shown in blue).

Achieving the removal the acoustic parameters (reverberation time, undetected by computer,” explains Geof roy
sound clarity and force) have been calibrated, Vauthier. These echoes result from net reflections
of background noise and the surface area of the clouds of reflectors and delayed reflections beyond 100 milliseconds
Another acoustic and architectural challenge, was was calculated. But the complexity and sheer that are spatially isolated. During the test, some
to isolate the main auditorium from the rehearsal number of reflections was too large to be entirely spectators had heard the same sound twice that
rooms and external noise sources, especially the calculated by computers, which is why the had shifted, creating the feeling that the sound
Zenith concert hall (about 200 meters away) and engineers also used physical models. A 1/10th came from two different places! Diffusing surfaces
the neighboring Peripheral boulevard. The concept scale model reproduced the reflective properties of were added and the angles of certain reflectors
used was that of a “box within a box” detached the small contours of the room, right down to the were modified to remove all unnecessary echoes.
from the building’s main structure by means of seats and future viewers, who were represented by Can it be thus be said, given the the acoustic
vibration isolators and a double skin. Between the felt dolls. Several dozens of them were equipped excellence created by the selected innovations,
walls of each “skin” there is an air vacuum of 6 to 15 with sensors to determine how the sounds in the that the Philharmonie de Paris will be a “perfect
inches that acts like a spring. The “silence quality” model would be perceived at various locations. concert hall?” “The perfect room does not exist,
must also be flawless. Air from 34 ventilation Like the dimensions of the room, the wavelengths just as there is no such thing as an perfect voice,”
centers will be pulsed very slowly in ducts fitted of these sounds were also reduced to one tenth of retorted Olivier Warusfel from IRCAM. “There are
with antivibration structures. If the whole system their actual size. too many subjective factors to count. Only the
works well, the background noise in the room will audience and the musicians will be able to tell if
They correspond to ultrasound waves, which are
never exceed 15 decibels, which is no more than a it lives up to its ambitions.” The inaugural gala is
absorbed more (and therefore further softened)
single leaf rustling. set to be held on January 14th, performed by the
than conventional sound waves in the air. For
Before giving the order to begin construction, the physical model to accurately reproduce Paris Orchestra.
all architectural acoustics have been tested and the absorption of sound at a reduced scale, the
validated. For these tests, the distribution and chemical composition of the air inside the model
all of the angles of incidence of the sound waves was saturated with 98% nitrogen. “The tests have
were numerically simulated. It is in this way that allowed us to identify which echoes remained

Sound propagation was

modeled and tested using a
scale model - reproducing the
reflective properties of the room
- to determine how it would be
perceived by each viewer.