Significantly improved acoustics, new technology, more space for instruments: over the past ten months, the chamber music hall at the Institute of Music has been completely refurbished.
One and a half million euros were provided for this by the HP-Invest programme of the State of Lower Saxony, whilst the Institute of Music, as the main user of the space, contributed 35,000 euros itself. Since the start of the summer semester, the hall has once again been available for teaching, ensemble rehearsals and events. It was officially reopened yesterday with a ceremony. “With the newly designed chamber music hall, our students and teaching staff now have access to an outstanding facility that enables music education of the highest standard,” says Jörg Stahlmann, Vice-President for Administration and Finance.
A sound system like that in the Elbphilharmonie
Building A11, in which the chamber music hall is located, was built in 1966 as part of the University of Education. Following sporadic refurbishments over the past few decades, the hall was completely gutted last year. A particular challenge for the planners was to design the hall’s acoustics in such a way that different types of music sound good there, whilst also ensuring speech intelligibility during seminars. This is because the various usage scenarios require different – and in some cases conflicting – reverberation times. Working alongside an acoustics consultant, the university’s building management team and the Institute of Music have developed a concept that best meets these diverse requirements.
In addition to structural elements such as an acoustic ceiling, new windows and internal roller blinds, a high-quality loudspeaker system with an associated audio setup is key to ensuring a natural, high-resolution sound in the room. “The loudspeakers form part of a line array system, similar to the one installed in the Elbphilharmonie. With these intelligent loudspeakers, we can electronically direct the sound towards the audience and precisely target the listening area we want,” explains Andreas Burau. As a student assistant, he looks after the Institute’s event technology and helped plan the technical setup for the new chamber music hall. Although the ensembles initially had to get used to the room’s new acoustics, he adds that everyone is very satisfied with the result. Peter Janssen, a lecturer at the Institute of Music, is also delighted with the new sound quality: “The clarity of the sound has improved significantly. When rehearsing pieces, you can specifically isolate individual instruments – that’s brilliant.”
New cupboards, old parquet flooring
The ventilation system has also been designed to be as quiet as possible and, during normal operation, circulates air through the room at a whisper-quiet level – around 30 decibels. The Chamber Music Hall’s electronics have also been completely overhauled; the hall’s technical systems are linked to those of the adjoining auditorium and the Institute’s recording studio. A support structure above the stage allows lighting and other event equipment to be mounted, enabling the space to be used flexibly.
Another highlight of the new space: the entire length of the chamber music hall’s end wall has been converted into a three-metre-high wall unit. Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors make it relatively easy to store even large, heavy instruments such as a marimba or timpani. “In the old room, there were lots of instruments lying about because we had very little storage space. Now it all disappears into the new cupboards,” says Peter Janssen happily.
The stage floor also catches the eye: during the demolition work, the builders discovered the old parquet flooring beneath the carpet. It has been restored and is now the only feature remaining that recalls the original chamber music hall.
