Experimental Characterization and Acoustic Correction of a Multipurpose Performance Hall: The Italian Theatre “Cavallino Bianco”

This study presents the retrofit acoustic design of the Italian theatre “Cavallino Bianco”. In its historical configuration, the hall had a curved roof with a pressed-plant fiber ceiling, which was demolished and replaced with a wooden roof without a false ceiling, leading to an increase in volume and worsening of the reverberation time. This study proposes the realization of a wave ceiling and the application of sound-absorbing and reflecting panels on the walls, which have already been implemented. These modifications have affected the acoustic characterization of the theatre, as shown both through on-site measurements during the main construction phases and through numerical simulations. The reverberation time, clarity index, and speech transmission index (STI) are evaluated considering all the variations in the hall during its different construction times, and the optimal solution is identified with regard to different specific uses. The final configuration, by reducing the volume of the hall and using sound-absorbing materials, significantly reduces the reverberation time. In addition, the hall at full capacity with chairs and people shows evident improvement to the clarity index, allowing the theatre to be used for a wide range of musical genres such as instrumental, symphonic, and opera.

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