Beside design and durability the choice of the suitable materials for the seating is of essential importance for the acoustics in the Philharmonie.
In an European wide public tendering the wool fabric manufacturer rohi won the choice for the new “clothes” in matter of quality, acoustics and delivery terms. An already existing design was adapted to the class listed building.
Step by step the 2440 seats of the big hall and the 1180 seats of the chamber music hall will be renovated with the new rohi fabrics in the next few years.
The project will be implemented with TANO, an elegant and slightly ribbed wool fabric. In the great hall of the Philhamonie “savanne”, a warm orange-golden color will be used, for the chamber music hall “rosegrey” was chosen, a subtle grey color with red nuances.
One requirement for the acoustic properties of the seating was the minimization of the differences between an used and unused concert hall. The acoustic settings have to be almost the same on orchestral rehearsals in an empty hall as on sold out performances. Therefore the folded up seat without any listener has to behave as sound absorbing as a seat with an auditor.
The TANO fabric assures a consistent overall acoustic, providing a perfect balance both in sound reflection and sound absorbance.