Designing for Sound: The Interplay between Interior Geometry and Acoustic Ambience in Concert Halls

Abstract

This thesis aims to explore how interior designers can balance technical performance requirements with aesthetic considerations in concert hall design. It examines the relationship between geometry, materiality and architectural detailing across both historical and contemporary performance spaces through comparative case studies. The selected examples - Staatsoper Unter den Linden (1743), Gewandhaus (1781), Elbphilharmonie (2017), and Konzerthaus Dortmund (2002) - are analyzed using visual, spatial and comparative methods. By highlighting similarities and differences between past and present approaches, the research reveals how evolving acoustic strategies and design priorities continue to shape concert halls as cultural, architectural, and experiential spaces.