Acoustics and Sightlines in La Scala’s Main Hall

The horseshoe plan yields intimacy and projection. Timber, velvet, and plaster collaborate to sculpt reverberation and clarity.

🔊 Reverberation Snapshot

Sabine’s relation: $$ RT_{60} = 0.161,rac{V}{A}quad ext{where}quad A = sum_i S_ialpha_i $$

• Target RT60 (opera): 1.2–1.6 s
• Diffusion: Balconies and ornament foster lateral energy.

👀 Sightlines

• Section curvature: Tier heights balance masking and proximity.
• Velvet reflectance: Low-luminance materials reduce visual glare.

La Scala’s hall is a tuned instrument—architecture as acoustic craft.

[^survey]: Acoustic surveys note robust lateral reflections from balcony fronts.

🧭 Context & Listening Modes

• Opera vs. concert: RT60 and lateral energy tuned for text and blend.
• Box vs. gallery: Different early reflections define presence.

📐 Acoustic Toolkit

• Balcony fronts: Micro‑diffusion for speech intelligibility.
• Velvet: High mid‑band absorption curbs brightness.

📊 Indicative Values

❓ FAQ

• Is the hall “dry”? No—lateral energy keeps music alive.
• Best place for voices? Stalls or front boxes for text detail.

✅ Key Takeaways

• Geometry + materials = musical intelligence.
• Sightlines are soundlines in disguise.