Sala Sinfonica Pablo Casals

Architect Rodolfo Fernandez designed this space for La Sinfónica de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra). It also hosts contemporary music concerts and performances during the annual Casals Festival. Acentech provided acoustics and audiovisual consulting for this distinguished venue.

Acoustical simulations (3DListening®) were built to help determine the interior shaping and finishes of ceiling, wall and floor surfaces. The design is a variation on the traditional “shoe box” concert hall design, featuring a relatively narrow and intimate seating plan. Balcony level seating wraps around the sides and rear of the stage to accommodate both audience and choral members as needed. The seating chamber has retractable velour curtains on the upper side and rear walls to customize the reverberant character for a wide spectrum of performance experiences.

Acentech designed the audiovisual systems as well, including the house sound system featuring a retractable main loudspeaker cluster that can be hoisted into the attic during symphony concerts when amplification is not required. We also consulted with the project mechanical engineer to design a quiet air conditioning system.

“The new hall’s acoustics are brilliant and warm. Sala Sinfonica Pablo Casals has a soul. To create beautiful music, there is always a give and take between the music and the hall. This hall really gives back. The acoustics will allow the orchestra to shape our sound, to add various colors to the genres of music we play. We are so happy to have a hall that will allow us to develop our sound even further. The hall’s acoustics have met my high expectations.”

Henry Hutchinson-Negron