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ARCHITECTURECopyright Lighting&Sound50 April 2014 Lighting&Sound AmericaAmerica April l
An exterior view of the lobby at dusk.Adding Musicto the CampusLeft photo: Courtesy of Tim Boot/Sonitus Consulting; Top photo: Aislinn Weidele/Ennead ArchitectsInside Stanford University’s Bing Concert HallBy: Mel LambertLocated between San Francisco and San Jose in theheart of Silicon Valley, Stanford University hasearned an enviable reputation as one of the world’sleading research and teaching institutions. But itscofounders, Leland and Jane Stanford, also saw a needfor music, art, and other cultural events within a campusenvironment, electing to “promote the public welfare byexercising an influence on behalf of humanity andcivilization.” Since 1891, the university has fosteredcreativity and the arts, with access to several performancespaces. A jewel in the campus crown, however, is BingConcert Hall, unveiled in January 2013 with a three-dayopening celebration featuring performances by the SanFrancisco Symphony, mezzo-soprano Frederica vonStade, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, StanfordSymphony, and Stanford Chamber Chorale.Designed by Ennead Architects, the new concert hallresulted from a close collaboration between the architectural team, led by Richard Olcott and management partnerTimothy Hartung; Dr. Yasuhisa Toyota, of NagataAcoustics; Robert Campbell and Joshua Dachs, of theatreplanning and design consultants Fisher Dachs Associates;and donor Peter Bing, who, in addition to providingsubstantial financial support for the project, also providedcreative input during the design process. Audioconsultants on the project were Sonitus Consulting, withsound isolation/noise control by Robert F. Mahoney &Associates, video by Boyce Nemec Designs, architecturallighting design by Brandston Partnership, and curtain wallby R.A. Heintges & Associates. Pro Sound & Videohandled system integration, with Musson Theatricalsupplying lighting dimmers and controllers andHolzmueller Productions theatrical lighting gear. The totalproject cost was 110 million.www.lightingandsoundamerica.com April 2014 51
ARCHITECTURE“Bing Concert Hall exemplifies the seamless integrationof architecture, acoustics, and technology with the goal oftransforming the practice, study, and experience of theperforming arts,” says Olcott, design partner with EnneadArchitects, which also designed Zankel Hall at CarnegieHall, Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall, and HollandPerforming Arts Center in Omaha, Nebraska. “Home toStanford Live [the university’s performing arts presenterand producer] and the university’s music department andproviding a state-of-the-art venue for visiting performersand student artists, the building integrates performanceand curriculum for students while engaging the greater BayArea community. The program—the central element ofwhich is an 842-seat, vineyard-style concert hall—includesa studio/rehearsal hall, artists’ suites, a music library,instrument storage rooms designed to double as practicerooms, and an artists’ lounge.” Olcott has designed threeother projects at Stanford University: Iris & B. GeraldCantor Center for the Visual Arts (1998), Stanford LawSchool’s William H. Neukom Building (2011), and theAnderson Collection at Stanford University, scheduled to52 April 2014 Lighting&Sound Americaopen in the summer of 2014.“That continuity of architecture was very important forus,” says Matthew Rodriguez, the hall’s director of operations and production. “Our goal was an intimateperformance space that would serve the long-terminterests of the campus. The hall needs to offer a perfectenvironment for classical music but with adjustableacoustics and a [removable] sound system for othermusical and dramatic genres. The hall offers a reverb timeof 2.6 seconds in its natural form and just over 2.2 secondswith the acoustic drapes deployed; it’s a perfect space forour needs.” Other key staff members include operationsmanager Janeen Giusti, production manager Kim Pross,and AV manager Nick Malgieri.Located within a 12"-thick concrete enclosure, theconcert hall occupies a 155'-by-130' oval drum designedfor optimal acoustics from every seat in the house,encircled by an irregularly shaped lobby. To the west, aforecourt plaza leads through an entry portico into thelobby. To the south, a terrace is designed to accommodateevent functions; to the north, a more intimate terrace forPhoto: Aislinn Weidele/Ennead ArchitectsLow walls embracing each seating section are angled and articulated with beech wood, which has a specific density and textured surface strategically designed to reflect and disperse sound.
performers overlooks a clearing preserved for large outdoorevents. A studio/rehearsal hall on the north side is acoustically isolated from the concert hall for simultaneous use;variable acoustic curtains allow tuning, while a flexible pipegrid accommodates a variety of performance types.“The concert hall’s primary function is to accommodateunamplified musical performances,” Olcott says. “Tosupport Stanford Live, which brings a variety of artists tocampus, as well as Stanford’s Center for ComputerResearch in Music and Acoustics [CCRMA], state-of-theart lighting, variable acoustics, sound reinforcement, videoprojection, and recording technologies are incorporated.Within the oval-shaped room, the furthest seat is only 75'from the conductor.“Each seating section has an intimate feel, particularlythe center-section seating, which begins at the same levelas the stage. Low walls embracing each seating sectionare angled and articulated with beech wood, which has aspecific density and textured surface strategically designedto reflect and disperse sound. The stage measures 73' by54', with six moving platforms [to provide adjustabletopologies].”Contrasting with the hall’s performance level are the sailwalls and ceiling cloud, “whose lighter tones imbue theupper region of the hall with an uplifting quality,” Olcottsays. “The large, sculptural, convex-shaped sails surroundthe seating and define the hall’s volume. These reflectorsare carefully shaped and angled to provide optimalacoustic reflection or absorption.” The sails also serve asscreens for video projection.Some 48' above the stage, a double-curved ceilingreflector houses most of the technical lighting, rigging, andsound-reinforcement equipment. “All wall and ceilingreflectors have been constructed to meet specific densityrequirements,” Hartung explains, “and their surface articulation assists in reflecting sound. Between the sails,variable acoustic curtains allow for room tuning to betteraccommodate performances that include amplified sound.”Toyota says, “Our design goals were to achieve bothrich and clear acoustics, with intimacy a key conceptacoustically and architecturally since the auditorium wasdesigned to work in an ideal way for classical music. Ourdesign discussions were shared by all members of thedesign team, including the architect, the theatricalconsultant, and the AV consultant; in order to integrate allthe discussions into the architectural design for the project,these deliberations were led by the architect.“It was an acoustical challenge to involve a full-sizeorchestra in the program of this mid-size, 842-seat concerthall, but the result was very successful. We plan to extendthe acoustical design techniques we developed at Stanfordto future installations.” Nagata Acoustics’ past projectsinclude Walt Disney Concert Hall, in Los Angeles, and theNew World Symphony SoundScape, in Miami.Theatrical planning and designFisher Dachs Associates/FDA began by developing a“building program that defined the scale of the project anddetailed the public and support spaces,” says associateprincipal Robert Campbell, who worked closely on theproject with FDA principal Joshua Dachs. “Once the choicewas made to pursue a vineyard-style concert hall, wedeveloped the concert hall’s geometry to achieve anintimate setting for music with excellent sight lines for allseats but which still complied with the acoustical parameters and guidelines provided by Nagata Acoustics.” Inaddition to designing seating layouts and sightlines, FDAworked to ensure that public and back-of-house spaceswere effectively laid out so the facility would be easy andefficient to operate. FDA also designed technicalequipment, including specialized rigging and lifts, and thetheatrical lighting.“The hall was designed to work for a range ofprogramming,” Campbell says, “including symphonyconcerts, amplified concerts, chorus, staged opera, simulcasts, etc. We worked with the design team to incorporatesystems that would need very little effort to turn over theroom for each type of event. The concert lighting andsystems were provided by ETC and installed and commissioned by Musson Theatrical. Boyce Nemec Designs wasour sub-consultant for the building’s video systems, whileSonitus specified a custom-designed, left-center-rightsound reinforcement system. J.R. Clancy provided customrigging solutions.”Sonitus Consulting worked previously with NagataAcoustics on both the Walt Disney Concert Hall and NewWorld Symphony projects. “We enjoy a good relationshipwith Dr. Toyota,” says Sonitus principal Fred Vogler, “andknow how to develop creative solutions during theprogramming stages to ensure that sound is intelligiblethroughout the space. For sound reinforcement, we optedfor a customized system using ATC components, just aswe did for the Walt Disney Concert Hall.”“We needed to develop a more advanced design forBing Hall because of the variable stage heights and addeda center cluster,” says Sonitus’ Tim Boot. “We realizedduring early planning that because of the compact spaceand the small stage, the auditorium would need asuspended central array that could be lowered via bombbay doors through the main ceiling-mounted soundreflector, which, because of load restraints, involved closeliaison with the acousticians and structural engineers.”A variable acoustics system was designed to cover thehard wall surfaces with absorptive curtains mounted onmotorized tracks. In addition, an innovative system oftelescoping fabric panels located on-stage behind anacoustically transparent wall provides extra soundabsorption behind the performers.According to Ben Lilly, ATC Loudspeakers’ trans-www.lightingandsoundamerica.com April 2014 53
ARCHITECTUREducer/R&D engineer, “The two primary soundreinforcement loudspeakers are located on-stage as astereo pair so that the reinforced source is as close aspossible to the acoustic source. These large, three-waysystems comprise several components powered by ATCP4 amplifiers: primary front-firing, upper and lowerelements and a secondary side-firing element. The sidefiring element is mounted on a tilt-and-swivel yoke, which,in turn, is mounted on an electrically actuated lift. In thisway, the correct orientation can be set up regardless of theon-stage speaker position and the stage riser height.”Each loudspeaker is mounted on 5" castors.To provide additional coverage for the central seats, apair of front-fill loudspeakers was specified. “Typically, ifthe main stage loudspeakers are pushed wide,” Lillycontinues, “both front fills will be used. A narrowerarrangement of main stage loudspeakers, with less of ahole in the stereo field, may utilize only one front fill.”These loudspeakers house a pair of 9" Super Linear LFdrivers, a single SuperDome mid, and a single 1" tweeterpowered by a P4 amplifier. Two stand-mountedloudspeakers provide additional coverage for rearaudience seats located closest to the stage; each speakerhouses a single 9" Super Linear LF driver, a SuperDome54 April 2014 Lighting&Sound Americamid, and a single 1" tweeter, powered by an on-boardamplifier pack. Also provided were portable stagesubwoofers for increased low-frequency reinforcement.“The center cluster is the most interesting element,”Lilly says, “and also one of the most complex. It has beendesigned to deliver omnidirectional coverage from thesingle cluster, via front, left-side, right-side, and rearspeakers. But interaction between the four elementspresents two major problems: constructive summing of thelow-frequency signals results in an overly bass-heavybalance that masks mid- and high-frequency detail, vitalfor intelligibility, and mid- and high-frequency combfiltering between the elements, which is especiallyapparent in the overlap regions between horizontalradiation patterns. We have a method of overcoming theseproblems based on a proprietary Path Length ControlSystem with acoustic dividers that greatly reduces thereliance on electronic EQ.” Each element houses a single15" Super Linear LF driver plus a 3" Soft Dome mid and aSoft Dome tweeter.“The ATC system was designed to provide widedispersion, a natural fidelity, and a wide dynamic range,”Vogler says. “Line arrays were not considered because wefelt they are too directional for this type of acoustic; thePhoto: Aislinn Weidele/Ennead ArchitectsThe terraced seating sections.
four-sided custom center cluster made more sense,” incombination with the floor-mounted enclosures.“We also specified Yamaha CL Series productionconsoles for the facility,” Boot says. “There is a CL-1 in thecontrol room for simple front-of-house mixing, a CL-3 forstage monitors, and a CL-5 in a dedicated FOH mix positionfor more complex productions.” All three consoles arenetworked on an Audinate Dante network with shared I/Oresources; Prism 16-channel D-to-A converters interfacewith ATC amplifiers that power the PA system via a HarmanBSS Audio Soundweb London system. A separaterecording control room at stage-left features a Yamaha DM1000 digital console and ATC reference monitors.J.R. Clancy provided custom rigging in the array of saillike acoustical wall and ceiling panels, using an installationteam from Western Theatrical led by project leader BrianDrake. “Between the gracefully curving panels, we provideda total of 22 motorized acoustical curtains, hanging fromrigging on a three-tiered catwalk system, as well as a seriesof acoustical panels,” says Brett Cooper, J.R. Clancy’s onsite project manager. “Behind the slot walls surrounding thestage—as per the consultant’s drawings—we designed andbuilt pop-up acoustical panels that allow technicians toadjust sound reflectivity and reverberation, depending onthe needs of a specific performance, whether it’s a soloist,a rock band, or a full orchestra.”For the ATC cluster suspended in the center of theacoustical ceiling, J.R. Clancy provided a custom hoistwith a load capacity of 2,000lb and a fixed speed of 20fpmwith an over-speed brake assembly. Also supplied werefour motor-control cabinets [MCC], three of which werelocated in the technical attic off the catwalk system. “TheMCC on stage-right runs the acoustic curtain locally onhouse right, while the stage-left cabinet runs the house-leftcurtains,” continues Cooper. “The house MCC runs all theoverhead equipment: the projection screen, light pipes,speaker cluster, and bomb bay doors. The fourth cabinetruns the variable acoustic pop-up panels with a riggingcontrol console located at the back of house. We alsoprovided a SceneControl pendant receptacle off stageright, with a 15m cable to allow the hall to run all theequipment from the stage.”A Shure UHF-R wireless microphone system wasselected by Sonitus for the hall. “Product quality is criticalin this type of venue, where the acoustic noise floor is verylow and the performances can be very dynamic,” Bootsays. “After reviewing the specific needs, it was decidedthat UHF-R—designed for the high pressure and extremeconditions of large-scale installation environments—wasthe right choice. By incorporating this type of high-endwireless technology, the unique landmark venue isequipped to respond to any type of performance withoutinterference or degradation.”Video projection systems“The video systems were selected to meet the sometimesconflicting requirements of the various constituent groupsand the realities of the project budget,” says AndrewSmith, of Boyce Nemec Design, the project’s productionvideo consultant. “In general, we chose components thatprovide good functionality for reasonable cost. TwoPanasonic AW-HE100 cameras with pan/tilt serve variousproduction needs; one uses security surveillance-typehybrid analog and IP cameras for operation by productionpersonnel, and the other uses triple-CCD HD-SDI camerasfor IMAG, streaming, latecomer video, and recording.” TheHD-SDI infrastructure is from Kramer Electronics, whileCrestron supplied the HD-BaseT backbone.“Bing Concert Hall exemplifies theseamless integration of architecture, acoustics, and technologywith the goal of transforming thepractice, study, and experience ofthe performing arts.— Olcott”The hall’s 360 layout posed unique challenges forvideo projection. “The ends of the hall are not wideenough for projection screens ideally-sized for modern 2Kprojection,” continues Smith. “The main StewartFilmscreen projection screen, therefore, is located justdownstage of the choir seats, meaning that eventsrequiring the full-size screen are unable to utilize the fullseating capacity. For those events, two smaller screensare positioned at each end of the hall for full audienceviewing.”All three projectors were installed in a central projectionbooth by a team from Pro Sound & Video; closest to thebooth is a rear-projection screen, while the other two arefront-projection. “In order to provide contrast in a frontprojected image in a space with light colored walls, themain projection screen is a gray material,” Smith says. Aswell as the permanent video-projection systems, strategically located connection panels are provided to accommodate portable equipment used for ambient projectionmapping on the architectural sail surfaces.Fixed- and moving-light systemsThere were several selection criteria for the concert hall’slighting systems. “First and foremost, the fixture anddimming systems had to be very quiet,” Campbell says.“As with most of our concert halls, we specified networkedETC SineWave dimming technology, which virtually eliminates lamp-filament noise. Each fixture was selected to bevery quiet, including the moving lights that were providedwww.lightingandsoundamerica.com April 2014 55
ARCHITECTUREto accommodate different types of productions.”Lighting fixtures are suspended from five curved andmotorized trusses set to the desired heights undercomputer control or in dedicated lighting slots in theceiling. Trusses can be lowered to the floor for lightingmaintenance and attachment of additional fixtures forspecial events. Power and data wiring is routed to thetrusses via cable reels. The ceiling design also incorporates holes for the passage of chain hoist rigging lines forsetting temporary lighting trusses.“We installed 1 million worth of ETC lighting dimmersand controllers,” says Musson Theatrical’s MichaelHowden, who served as project manager and programmer.“The ten ETC SineWave SW24 dimmer racks providecontrol for 480 fixed and moving instruments arrayed on anetwork and accessed from three lighting controllers: a 48channel Eos SmartFade ML as main with an Eos RPU asbackup and an Eos Ion as a client desk for visiting lightingdesigners.” Musson also provided 90% of the architecturallighting control, arrayed across three networked ETCParadigm control systems for the hall, lobby, andstudio/rehearsal space.“The fixtures include a large number of ETC SourceFour ellipsoids,” says Jim Schelstrate, sales director withHolzmueller Productions, “including twenty 10 , fifteen 14 ,56 April 2014 Lighting&Sound Americaten 19 , twenty 26 , thirty-five 36 , and ten 50 modelswith color frames plus forty 15 – 30 zooms and 30 PAREAs with lenses.” Also supplied were a total of 54 ETXDesire D40 Vivid LED luminaires with various lens configurations, eight Philips Vari*Lite VL1100TS ERS moving lightswith framing shutters, ten Vari*Lite VL550 washes, and twoLycian Super Arc 400 follow spots.“Five of the hoists we provide above the acoustical or‘cloud’ ceiling are for lighting battens,” Cooper adds. “Theacoustical ceiling comes out like a U shape, and five pipesdrop down for lighting. Two high-capacity hoists are readyto take on the variable loads created by adding andremoving lighting instruments; we worked with the theatredesigners to make these battens as accessible as possiblefor technicians working around the ceiling panels.”To maintain rigging stability in the hall without having torely on the building structure, the team installed supplementary steel. “There were intricate patterns for how allthe cables had to work,” Cooper says. “To get signal andthe electrical power down to the light pipes, for example,we used 19 cable reels. Large, specialized hoists werecustom-built for this project to handle a great deal ofweight, so we needed to install 80 sections of extra steelto get everything into the right place.”J.R. Clancy also installed primary and secondary hoistPhoto: Courtesy of Tim Boot/Sonitus ConsultingThe Yamaha CL-3 production console for stage-monitor mixing.
assemblies for the two projection screens. The primaryscreen has a 35'-by-18' viewing size and is lowered andstored under the stage; a smaller, secondary screen livesin a permanent installation upstage. “The two hoists, at1,500lb and 500lb capacities respectively, allow technicians to bring in the screen automatically for projectedscenery and other video elements and store it below thestage when not in use,” Cooper says.Audience and client reactions“The client team members as well as us were so happyduring the first rehearsal,” Toyota says. “I was especiallyhappy since Peter and Helen Bing, the main donors for theproject, were very satisfied with the results.”“For theatre functionality and acoustics as well asintimacy, energy, and sightlines, reactions wereoverwhelmingly great,” Campbell says. “The users arehappy with the facility. Every day, they are fine-tuning theway they use the hall’s systems. What made the project sosuccessful was that we had the music department,Stanford Live operations, and Stanford projectmanagement—as well as many other stakeholders—contribute during our design meetings to the decisionsthat reached overall consensus.”“The first reactions to our installed sound system for ajazz concert were that it sounded totally transparent,” saysVogler, who worked for five years on the project. “Theacoustics sound phenomenal,” Boot says, “and integratewell with live performances. It’s a glorious space.”“We were immediately impressed by the clarity andcrispness of the acoustics,” Rodriguez says. “The intimate,vineyard design supports the emotional moments youwould hope to have in such a space. It offers a wonderfulpalette for artists to connect with the audience and sharetheir art with our patrons.”Mel Lambert has been intimately involved with productionindustries on both sides of the Atlantic for more years thanhe cares to remember. He is now principal ofMedia&Marketing, a Los Angeles-based consulting servicefor the professional audio industry, and can be reached atmel.lambert@mediaandmarketing.com or 818-558-3924.www.lightingandsoundamerica.com April 2014 57
theatrical lighting. “The hall was designed to work for a range of programming,” Campbell says, “including symphony concerts, amplified concerts, chorus, staged opera, simul-casts, etc. We worked with the design team to incorporate systems that would need very little effort to t
