WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL

1. WALT DISNEY
CONCERT
HALL
NAME: MENNA MOHAMED
SHAHAT
SEC: 2
SUBJECT: SPECIFIED
APPLIED PHYSICS
N
E
S
W
ACOUSTIC
SYSTEM

2. WALT
DISNEY
CONCERT HALL
111 SOUTH GRAND AVENUE
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA U.S.A.
was designed by Frank Gehry.
➢ INTRODUCTION
For about thirteen years,
Walt Disney concert hall has been a unique locus
for music, arts and architecture. Since its opening in
2003 it has been one of the most recognizable
symbols of Los Angeles and also one of the best-
known concert halls of the world. The
establishment of a Concert Hall originally began in
1987 when Lilian Disney donated $50 million in
honor of her late husband. A year later, Frank Gehry
was selected during the design competition but
mismanagement and politics, the project didn't
really start until 1996. Disney Concert Hall was
completed and became part of the Los Angeles
California's performing district on October 23rd
2003.The home of the LA Phil, it has become widely
well known for its unique architectural form and its
excellent acoustics.

3. HALL
ACOUSTICS
• A 1:10 scale model was
constructed in order to test
and study the acoustics of the
auditorium. The frequency of
the sounds used for testing
was increased in order to
reduce the wavelengths by a
factor of ten. To expel the
oxygen and water vapor that
absorb high-frequency sound
the model was filled with
nitrogen.

4. • One of the challenges Toyota faced was
achieving full sound coverage from an
unamplified orchestra that had no volume
control. The vineyard design calls for terraced
seating to surround the orchestra allowing for
more flat surfaces. This would Increase the
area for sound to be reflected-an important
feature for the success of an
unamplified orchestra.
Much of Toyota's design is based on the
principle that concave shape focuses sound
and convex scatters it. Using this principle, he
employed concave shapes wherever
possible. In fact, the "walls" surrounding the
Disney Hall are an optical illusion. They
are made of transparent mesh to allow sound
to easily pass through and reflect off
whatever lies behind (row upon row of hidden
concave curves).
The result of Toyota's design is a sound
described as "acoustical clarity and warmth”.
Made from
Alaskan yellow cedar, the stages provide
resonance and can be configured to hold larger
performances by removing the first rows in
Orchestra.

5. INTERIOR

6. Frank Gehry
leveraged sound reflection
in multiple ways to design
the Walt Disney Concert
Hall's acoustics:
Shape and Materials:
Curved Surfaces: The vineyard-
like shape of the interior walls and
the curved ceiling help distribute
sound evenly throughout the
audience.
Reflective Materials: Materials
like stainless steel on the exterior
and wood on the interior walls were
chosen for their sound-reflecting
properties.

7. Frank Gehry
leveraged sound reflection
in multiple ways to design
the Walt Disney Concert
Hall's acoustics:
Design Techniques:
Convex Wood Panels:
Suspended wood panels on the
ceiling, designed by acoustician
Yasuhisa Toyota, are convex to
further reflect sound towards the
audience and orchestra.

8. Frank Gehry
leveraged sound reflection
in multiple ways to design
the Walt Disney Concert
Hall's acoustics:
Overall Collaboration:
Acoustic Modeling: Gehry worked
closely with acousticians throughout
the design process. They built and
tested numerous scale models to
perfect the reflection and resonance
within the hall.
Outcomes: By carefully
considering sound reflection, the
Walt Disney Concert Hall achieved
exceptional acoustics, praised by
musicians and audiences alike for
its clarity and intimacy.

9. Seating Arrangement:
The vineyard-style seating
arrangement in the hall, with
seats surrounding the stage on
multiple levels, also influences
sound reflection. The
arrangement helps to distribute
sound evenly throughout the
hall, minimizing the impact of
direct reflections and enhancing
the sense of immersion for the
audience.
Adjustable Acoustic
Canopy:
As mentioned earlier, the hall
features an adjustable acoustic
canopy consisting of panels
suspended above the stage.
These panels can be adjusted to
control the reflection and
diffusion of sound within the
hall, allowing for fine-tuning of
the acoustic environment to suit
different types of performances.

10. Acoustic Treatments:
In addition to the architectural design
elements, the hall may incorporate various
acoustic treatments, such as diffusers and
absorbers, to further control sound
reflection and reverberation. These
treatments are strategically placed to
optimize the acoustic environment for both
performers and listeners.