Acoustical Quality For Media Auditorium Analysis Of The Current Situation And A Proposal For Improvement

Abdullah, Rawaz Najmaddin; Saeed, Ayshe Rashid; Muhammed Amin, Faeza Bakr; Fayeq, Zhiyar Raad Fayeq Raad

doi:10.24271/psr.2026.560880.2438

Acoustical Quality For Media Auditorium Analysis Of The Current Situation And A Proposal For Improvement

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Rawaz Najmaddin Abdullah ¹

Ayshe Rashid Saeed

Faeza Bakr Muhammed Amin

Zhiyar Raad Fayeq Raad Fayeq ²

¹ Department of Interior Design, Faculty of Engineering, Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq,44001.

² Architectural Engineering and Sustainability Program, School of Science and Engineering, University of Kurdistan-Hawler, Erbil 44001, Kurdistan Reign, Iraq.

10.24271/psr.2026.560880.2438

Abstract

The functional quality of media auditoriums relies on acoustic performance, especially in multi-purpose space where speech and music are listed. In this analysis, the quantitative assessment of the acoustic performance of a Media Auditorium in Erbil, Iraq is developed and goals are to determine the design interventions to improve its acoustic adaptability. The approach of quantitative case study was chosen which involved a combination of in-situ acoustic measurements and digital simulation. The surveying of the architecture was recorded in terms of geometry and material characteristic of the hall, and the sound pressure level (SPL) of the hall was also tested on-site along with reverberation time (RT). Spatial acoustic analysis was done with the help of a calibrated 3D model created in Revit and loaded into Grasshopper with the help of Pachyderm and Fluffy Fish plugins. It has been found that fabric finishes and upholstered seating have a good high-frequency absorption, but insufficient low-frequency absorption below 250 Hz. Measured RT values (1.6-1.85 s) were appropriate to the tiny musical acts but slightly excessive for speech. Proposed interventions-installing high-performance absorptive materials on rear walls—reduced reverberation and optimized early reflections, enhancing the auditorium’s versatility for diverse event types.

Keywords

Acoustic quality

Auditorium

Reverberation time (RT)

Sound absorption