royal concertgebouw - adolf leonard (dolf) van gend
TRANSCRIPT
Royal Concertgebouw | Amsterdam
Concertgebouw = “concert building’
HISTORY
Construction started in 1883
Finished in 1888
Architect Adolf Leonard (Dolf) van Gendt1
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1 Entrance2 Great Hall3 Great Hall Conductor Spot 4 Wardrobe 5 North Foyer6 South Foyer and Cafe7 Spiegalzaal Hall Foyer8 Speigalzaal Hall
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4
56
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9 Balcony Foyer10 Balcony seats11 North Balcony Foyer12 South Balcony Foyer13 Podium seats
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1112
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Architectural Facts• Seats 1,974 in the main
hall
• 144’ long, 92’ wide and 56’
high
• The small recital hall
is 66’ long, 15’ wide and
seats 437
Maarschalkerweerd-organ
• Was not present in 1888
• In 1890 an auction was
held to purchase the
organ
• Organ builder was: Michael
Maarschalkerweerd
• In 1990 the organ was
restored (took 2 years)1
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Main entrance
Great Hall
Recital Hall
Renovation
In 1972 Concertgebouw was declared protected monument
1983 the building was sinking due to rotting foundations
From 1985-1988 the Hall got a new side wing. This created a new
entrance designed by architect Pi de Bruijn. 1
“This wing, with its covered promenade, is fully in keeping with the original building. The design is sim-ple, with a lot of glass, so the beauty of the old build-ing continues to shine through. Even the colour, light grey, fits in well with The Concertgebouw.” - Pi de Brujin
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Circulation
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Circulation
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ACOUSTICS 1. Listener envelopment: Sense of being surrounded by sound (time period >80 milliseconds)2. Reverberant character3. Diffusion4. Sound strength5. Clarity6. Warmth 3
Acoustics
Flat / gently sloping floors
Elevated orchestra platform(59 inches)
Balcony is positioned in the same horizontal plane as the orchestra. This allows the audience to get the first sound reflections from the orchestra.
surrounded by sound3
surrounded by sound
Acoustics
Time it takes for the sound to die out.
In large halls that are at full capacity, it takes 1.8-2.2 seconds for the sound to fully die out.
Shorter times are preferred for Classical music, while longer times are for romantic music.
Mid-frequency reverberation time: 2.0 seconds
Successful halls limit the seats to no more than 2,400. Sound strength is greater in smaller halls, since the audience absorbs most of the sound.
Seats: 2,037
romantic music
classical music
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AcousticsMultiple surfaces to break up (diffuse) the sound3
Today900 events (80% concerts)700,000 visitors a year
Privately financed- 30% from ticket sales - 22% from rentals- 20% from hospitality- 20% from sponsoring and fundraising - 8% other (5% municipal grant included)
Education program reaches over 30,000 children a year.
“Acoustics excellent, tickets quite easy to get hold of, brilliant new bar and entrance areas - a very pleasant evening in Amsterdam.”
“I’ve been here before, but was lucky enough to go again this trip and caught a concert of Wagner’s Lohengrin....what a beautiful concert. The venue is very lovely, built in the late 1800’s with enough design elements to make it graceful and visually appealing, but not too much for it to feel too “grand” or imposing. It’s quite comfortable and has a sense of intimacy about it despite the main hall having the capacity for some 2000+ people. The seats are very comfortable and the temperature was perfect - not cold or so warm you’d want to fall asleep. The best thing about this place are the acoustics which are wonderful. The sounds are heavenly. The performance was top tier.”
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The Concertgebouw is one of most successful concert halls in the world. It’s location along a public park in Amsterdam attracts people into the Hall. The renovations have kept the Hall up to date on acoustical qualities, while staying true to its classical form.
Concertgebouw’s rectangular shape, stage, ceiling height, seats, balcony and decorative elements strengthen the musical quality of the hall. The layout and circulation patterns are simple and easy to follow. Each wing has its own foyer with either a cafe or bar. The design also provides a smaller scale hall to attract more classical, intimate performances.
The design and architectural elements made for an acoustical experience that attracts visitors and musicians worldwide. The Concertgebouw will always be an architectural icon and precedent study in concert hall designs.
Conclusion
Sources
1. “Concertgebouw (Amsterdam, The Netherlands): Hours, Address, Tickets & Tours, Theater Reviews - TripAdvisor.” <i>Concertgebouw (Amsterdam, The Netherlands): Hours, Address, Tickets & Tours, Theater Reviews - TripAdvisor</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016. <http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g188590-d189383-Reviews-Concertgebouw-Amsterdam_North_Holland_ Province.html>.
2. “Home.” <i>Het Concertgebouw</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016. <http://www.concertgebouw.nl/en/>.
3. Long, Marshall. “What Is so Special about Shoebox Halls? Envelopment, Envelopment, Envelopment.” Acou. Today Acoustics Today 5.2 (2009): 21. Shoebox. Marshall Long Acoustics. Web. 10 Feb. 2106. <http://mlacoustics.com/PDF/Shoebox.pdf>.
4. “OV-kunstkaart - Het Concertgebouw, Plattegrond.” <i>OV-kunstkaart - Het Concertgebouw, Plattegrond</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016. <http://www.ov-kunstkaart.nl/146/nl/het-concertgebouw-plattegrond>.