NOSPR – acoustic design and supervision
The Headquarters of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOPSPR) in Katowice is the largest concert and recording complex in Poland, optimised for the needs of classical music but also providing the opportunity to present other musical genres. The building was created to serve as a home for one of the best symphony orchestras in the world and at the same time to be an excellent recording studio realizing concerts in uncompromising conditions.
Despite the fact that the building was erected on a post-mining site in the vicinity of a road with above- and below-ground lanes, the rooms with qualified acoustics remain practically perfectly quiet. The unique acoustics of the interior, optimum technological solutions and effective soundproofing allow for comfortable recording of even two concerts simultaneously:
- Concert Hall (1 800 seats in the audience)
- Chamber Hall (283 seats).
Pracownia Akustyczna Kozłowski participated in the creation of new seat of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra from the beginning of creation of the post-competition concept to the first concert. Throughout the whole period of designing realized within the KONIOR STUDIO team, we were responsible for acoustics as well as stage and recording technology of the NOSPR building.
At the moment of starting the detailed design, Yasuhisa Toyota from NAGATA Acoustics became the acoustic consultant for the permanent acoustics of the Concert Hall.
Regardless of the author’s supervision during the realization of NOSPR building, we carried out expert supervision for the whole building in the following fields
- noise control,
- room acoustics,
- stage and recording technology.
Within the framework of supervision of acoustics and stage technology of NOSPR we checked the quality of works performed on the construction site once a week and we also conducted several multi-day measurement sessions within the framework of acoustic tuning procedure of NOSPR building.
For NOSPR we have designed
In the Concert Hall of NOSPR:
– noise control,
– variable room acoustics,
– sound system,
– stage manager system,
– stage lighting,
– stage mechanics.
In the NOSPR Recording Studio:
– noise control,
– room acoustics in two recording studios,
– a recording system connected to the concert halls and rehearsal rooms,
– an stage manager system,
– preview system.
In the Chamber Hall of the NOSPR:
– noise control,
– room acoustics using a physical model in 1:20 scale,
– elements of variable room acoustics,
– sound system,
– stage manager system,
– stage lighting,
– stage mechanics.
In 4 sectional rehearsal rooms,
47 dressing rooms which are individual rehearsal rooms,
a VIP lounge:
– noise control,
– room acoustics,
– stage manager system,
– audiovisual system.
In the area of the whole building we dealt with the technology of the performance and recording facility, sound control and room acoustics of spaces interacting and influencing the rooms with qualified acoustics, such as: foyers, communication, technical and storage spaces and offices.
Photo: Bartosz Hołoszkiewicz
Photo: Bartek Barczyk