Acoustical design challenges of colossal public interiors

In this study, a long-term experience with public buildings are discussed over architectural and acoustical parameters. Different codes and standards apply for a variety of public buildings in different countries. The criteria are generally set and can be satisfied for sound insulation metrics without an over-use of material. However, room acoustics design is always a challenge especially when the indoor space is excessive in scale, yet the criteria are also not always well-defined. In this contemporary era, the architectural styles emphasize even more the flexibility and the flow of spaces by connected volumes. This approach commonly ends up with linked circulation zones, huge foyers or almost monumental entrances. To exemplify and further discuss some of these cases, this study is framed around two buildings of different functions. The first case is Heydar Aliyev Center in Azerbaijan, with coupled inner galleries of circulation of museum and library zones and a grand foyer of the auditorium. Second case is the Kuwait International Airport Terminal possessing a grandeur of interior voids of check-in and concourse halls. For both cases the optimization of excessive reverberation is the major issue in a struggle of not overly applying acoustical materials. The selected indoor spaces at some locations demonstrate almost a free-field behavior. Accordingly, this study questions the use of common parameters, including reverberation time, strength and sound levels and the setting of proper criteria for such large public interiors.