"Concert Halls by Nagata Acoustics is the most important work on performing arts design since Leo Beranek's seminal Concert Halls and Opera House (2004). This book can be enjoyed as a coffee table book or reference companion for architects and acousticians. It cements Nagata Acoustics' title as the heavyweight champion of vineyard-style halls." (Brandon Cudequest, Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, Vol. 69 (6), 2021)
1. Design philosophy
2. Methodology and Technology
a. Computer Simulations
b. Acoustical scale model test
3. Detailed information on each of 25-30 halls
a. Could be organized by usage, completion date, location, or alphabetically
4. Acoustical metric analysis
Hailed by The New Yorker as the engineer of "a string of triumphs," Yasuhisa Toyota of Nagata Acoustics has established himself as the authority in the successful creation of the increasingly popular vineyard style concert hall. From well-known concert halls like Walt Disney Concert Hall and Suntory Hall to lesser known gems, Toyota and his colleagues at Nagata Acoustics have discovered an approach to tailor the vineyard design to a variety of scales and uses, all while achieving acoustic excellence.
Motoo Komoda, Daniel Beckmann, Marc Quiquerez, and Erik Bergal work at Nagata Acoustics. Nagata Acoustics has been involved in the acoustic design of nearly every vineyard style concert hall of note to be constructed across the globe in the last 30 years.
This visually stunning and data rich text catalogs the design of 32 concert halls by world-renowned acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota and his team at Nagata Acoustics, the firm behind the celebrated Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, and numerous others. Alongside architectural drawings and photographs, commentary on the design process and challenges of each hall provides insight for the dedicated listener to appreciate a wide range of internationally beloved concert venues. Summarized acoustical and architectural data for each of the halls will provide valuable reference information to architects and acousticians alike.
Following the project anthology is an overview of the history, development, and acoustical features of vineyard- and surround-style concert halls. A broader discussion of design philosophy reveals the methods by which Toyota has guided architects to create world renowned halls. These technical and general discussions give architects the foundation to design for the performing arts, and provide audiences a new insight and perspective to consider the next time they attend a concert.