Walt Disney Concert Hall

Over any building, and work of architecture there is one particular type of building that grabs my attention the most. These buildings not only bring out of me great interest in design and modeling but also my love and passion for music. These are also the types of buildings that I hope to be able to focus on in my career; concert halls and auditoriums. I have been a musician for almost nine years. I play various instruments but above all I consider myself a pianist. Over the years, I have learned to truly appreciate music for its musical and artistic value. I feel that the combination of both my musical and architectural sides could push me towards a more specific field called architectural acoustics.
Any person who attends a concert, whether it is of classical, rock, or pop music, can testify of a certain feeling of euphoria that took over them while listening to the musicians playing live. This, of course, is primarily due the ability of the musicians, but, even a great musician playing in a poorly built auditorium or concert hall will sound as an amateur. This is why architectural acoustics is a very important part of architecture.
One perfect example of great architectural acoustics can be seen in the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. This acoustical work of art was opened in October, 2003. The project began as a request from Walt Disney's wife to build a new concert hall that would honor her late husband. She donated $50 million for the project as a way to reflect how Disney's love for music through out his entire life and career. The head architect, Frank Henry, "envisioned a place in which people would come together and feel comfortable" and in many ways he certainly did achieve this. The incredible outside view definitely grabs the attention of any body who happens to glance at the building. Its look is composed of various irregularly shaped steel boxes. These boxes have the resemblance of silver sails, which look more like a extravagant memorial then a concert hall. But, as incredible as the outside is, its the inside that makes this building unique. Architect Frank Henry along with a group of acoustics engineers and music directors worked hard to design an almost acoustically perfect room. The 2,265 seats that the concert hall has are arranged in what the Walt Disney Concert Hall website calls a "Vineyard Style". This way of arranging the seats consist of steeply raked seats that surround the stage. The level of steepness allows even the farthest listener to be much closer to the main stage then a regular seating arrangement. This, of course, allows the listener to enjoy a much better and refined sound.
This is simply one example of great architectural acoustics, there are many more that range from school auditoriums, to churches, to national concert halls. I just wish to someday be part of the team designing such marvels.

Source:
Walt Disney Concert Hall Main Website
http://www.laphil.com/wdch10/index.html