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Theatre Space
The Cobb Energy PAC
SRSS&A to work out the acoustics. The
hall is designed to meet what Anthony
Shou of Kirkegaard Associates calls “the
challenge of intimacy of sound,” using
Meyer Sound’s MICA curvilinear array
loudspeaker clusters with hoist devices
and provision for a flown-in center cluster.
Four acoustic drapes on side and
rear walls may be adjusted to create
the level of sound absorption desired
for each performance, while four sets of
acoustic reflectors evenly direct sound
from the stage and orchestra pit areas
throughout the theatre.
“Opera isn’t generally amplified,
whereas Broadway usually is, and of
course rock concerts are amplified a
lot,” Reynolds says. “So the consultants
we had on board, who were
experts in the acoustical and sound
system aspects of the project, had
to design it to suit as many different
scenarios as possible.”
The venue’s seats feature wood
backs and bottoms, with Kirkegaard
Associates experimenting with the
type of foam, cushion and fabric to
control how much absorption they
would add to the room. A displacement
ventilation system offers acoustical
advantages as well, with low-velocity
air pushed through 1,680 diffusers
on the floor rather than forced through
large, loud wall-mounted registers. To
minimize external site noise, which
includes commercial and military
aviation, 20-inch-thick concrete walls
encase the auditorium.
The 6,050-square foot stage (55 feet
deep and 110 feet wide) offers productions
the flexibility of a 40-foot by 20-
foot, fully trappable steel floor. The proscenium
measures 32 feet high and 50
feet wide. A full, over-stage grid with
channel decking is located at 82 feet.
Acoustic reflectors in the theatre help direct the audio.
Operating, fly and crossover galleries are
at 35 feet, and the stage rigging system
includes 96 line sets with battens capable
of handling 2,000 pounds each. The
orchestra pit is a 51-foot by 9-foot spiral
jack lift equipped with movable seat
wagons, making it possible to extend
the stage or convert the orchestra pit for
audience seating. There are two orchestra
pit configurations, accommodating
somewhere between 36 and 84 musicians,
depending on instrumentation.
Over the course of the process, members
of the design team toured numerous
standout facilities built in the last 10
years, including performing arts centers
in Cincinnati, Houston, New Jersey and
nearby Columbus, Ga. Along the way,
they took notes and asked questions
about the venues’ various strengths
and weaknesses. One recurring theme
they encountered was the importance
of the relationship between the loading
dock and the stage.
“For a large performance,” says
Reynolds, “there could be six to 10
trailer truckloads of equipment that
needs to be delivered, so maneuverability
becomes an important component
of the facility. A lot of these facilities
were in restricted downtown locations,
20 November 2007 • www.stage-directions.com