Study of Acoustical Properties in Santa Cecilia Concert Hall in Rome

A detailed acoustical study of the 2,800-seat Santa Cecilia Concert Hall in the recently-built Auditorium “Parco della Musica” in Rome has been made. The study consists of a series of spatially resolved measurements of the basic objective acoustical parameters of a theater designed for large orchestra musical performance. From impulse responses measured by deconvolving frequency-swept test signals, emitted from an omnidirectional source located on the stage, it has been possible to determine octaveband values of reverberation time, early decay time, clarity, center time, strength, and parameters related to spaciousness and envelopment, such as IACC and LF. The experimental findings suggest that, considered the remarkably large volume of the hall, its general characteristics can be considered satisfactory, with possibilities of further improvement in future times.