Architectural shape and early acoustic efficiency in concert halls (L).

Supplying sufficient early reflections to audience members is an important prerequisite to good acoustic quality in performing arts spaces. However, the relationship between the geometry of a room and its acoustic efficiency in terms of early energy has rarely been investigated using basic geometrical principles. The present study demonstrates the possibility of predicting the average value of early reflected energy across the audience area using solid angles. The formulas obtained display the influence of various factors on average early energy; in particular, the direction of arrival of early reflections is found to play a significant role, which highlights interesting implications for the acoustic design of concert halls.