Herengracht Kerk

Sacred acoustics in a modern look. The acoustics in sacred buildings are often giving rise to discussion. Once in a while, church visitors complain about poor speech intelligibility during a church service. Corresponding measures to improve the acoustics often have to be communicated very delicated and implemented with great sensitivity. Sacred buildings are holy places and the topic of monument protection often poses a planning challenge.

There are almost always different areas of tension and different starting situations on the part of the customer. Architecturally, from chapels to cathedrals, there is an abundance of room shapes of different volumes. The reasons for a church visit also change constantly and with it the utilisation of the capacity. Church visitors expect optimal acoustic conditions for all uses with a sacred atmosphere that matches the architectural expression.

A study shows that the reverberation time in churches is closely related to the denomination (Catholic, Protestant) and the building epoch (Gothic, Baroque, Modern). For example, it can be assumed that the reverberation time in Catholic churches is longer on average than in Protestant-Reformed churches, where more weight is attached to the spoken word. Furthermore, the Gothic and Romantic architecture is significantly more susceptible to a long reverberation time.