ACOUSTICS
MARSHALL DAY ACOUSTICS
For the acoustic
design at the
Ian Potter
Southbank Centre
in Melbourne,
Australia,
Marshall Day
was challenged
to provide some
sound permeation
without clashes
124 AUDITORIA 2019 VOLUME ONE
sounds of learning and practice are allowed to
permeate through into the building’s common
spaces without intruding into critical spaces.
Specialized acoustic glazing and door systems
control noise ingress while enabling visual
connectivity. Each room has its own specialized
flexible acoustic design features to control key
acoustic measures, including the reverberation
time, timbre, clarity, speech intelligibility and
spatial impression.
No outside noise
The building is designed to achieve an extremely
high level of acoustic isolation from the external
environment – including streetcar movements
along the adjacent street – through box-in-box
construction. A fully vibration-isolated structure
is built within a structurally massive concrete box
to ensure all three of the large performance
spaces in the complex can offer a high-quality
recording environment.
On the ground floor of the center, the
main foyer acts as a student hub and informal
performance space for study and event use.
The seating in this space is designed to maximize
flexibility. Large windows with acoustic
glazing create visual connections between the
Kenneth Myer Auditorium and the foyer, while
maintaining a high degree of acoustic insulation.
Warm
reception
Located in one of the finest arts
precincts in the world, the recently
completed Ian Potter Southbank
Centre is the new home of the
Melbourne Conservatorium of
Music in Australia. It is the centerpiece of the
University of Melbourne’s Southbank campus,
accommodating more than 1,000 music students.
At its heart, the building celebrates the
activities of music rehearsal and practice. It is
a building that is, above all, designed for
teaching, rehearsing, performing and recording
a broad range of music.
Connected but not intrusive
The aim for the acoustic experience was to make
it alive with energy and intentionally not isolated.
Marshall Day designed the sound insulation of
the teaching spaces so that music would be
audible but not intrusive in common areas,
creating a warm, ambient environment. The