The newly reconstructed concert hall of the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra (LVSO), in Vilnius, Lithuania, opened its doors to visitors in March 2024. Formerly known as the Vilnius Congress and Concert Hall (VCCH), the reconstructed venue has been equipped to the latest standards and features acoustics specially adapted to symphonic music.
The project was conceived in 2018. It involved designer Marius Mateika and the services of Lithuanian architectural and building acoustic company Akustika Plius, collaborating with ADA Acoustics & Media Consultants (a WSDG company), along with the construction company INFES. ADA Acoustics & Media Consultants is a specialist in architectural acoustic consulting and media system engineering.
In 2018, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Ahnert, founding director of ADA Acoustics & Media Consultants, had the opportunity to visit the old hall and meet with Gintaras Rinkevičius, long-standing conductor of the LVSO.
“It was evident to both of us that the hall required fundamental reconstruction to significantly improve its acoustics,” said Ahnert. “Although the space was used for both speech and symphonic performances, it was definitely more adapted to speech purposes, with a very short reverberation time.”
Subsequently, Viktoras Mekas from Akustika Plius invited Ahnert to formally participate in the project. Ahnert contributed extensive knowledge in the field of room- and electro-acoustic designs, as well as noise control.
“Although the term ‘good acoustics’ sounds quite simple, during the project we had to consider a lot of different acoustic indicators and criteria,” said Ahnert. “These included reverberation time, music and speech clarity, warmth of sound, as well as the mutual hearing of musicians and density of lateral reflections. Meeting all these parameters required the implementation of various measures.”
“In close cooperation with interior designer Marius Mateika, we worked together with Viktoras and the construction company to determine the primary and secondary requirements necessary to enhance the acoustics of the hall,” Ahnert continued, noting that the primary structure refers to the correlation between volume, space and dimension. “The key takeaway from our visits was that the height of the ceiling of the hall didn’t offer enough volume to create optimum acoustics for every visitor, which included a two-second reverberation time needed for a perfect symphonic listening experience.”
After a hiatus caused by the global pandemic, the project resumed in 2022. Ahnert worked closely with colleague Tobias Behrens to create simulations using software programme EASE. These were then passed to Mekas and fellow acoustics consultant and architect at Akustika Plius, Gintare Privediene, who collaborated with Mateika and the construction company on what was necessary from an architectural viewpoint.
The first stage of the project involved fundamentally changing the design of the hall, raising the roof after convincing the client to add extra volume to the 984-seat concert hall. In line with amphitheatre principles, a stage with two movable raisers was installed, along with new lighting and ventilation systems.
The next stage was focused on the ‘secondary structure’ of the hall, by integrating three-dimensional acoustic patterns on the ceiling and walls combining rhombuses, triangles, rib panels, and smooth acoustic panels to create an optimum listening environment and aesthetically balanced concert hall. “By integrating these panels, it was possible to diffuse sound reflections and ensure even distribution across the entire hall,” said Behrens.
Behrens further noted that ADA’s experience comes from its work on similar projects, including the Elbphilharmonie and Kulturpalast Dresden in Germany, National Opera in Romania, Music Theater Linz in Austria, and many other notable venues.
Following extensive work by all involved, the concert hall opened its doors on 16 March 2024, with an evening of performances by the LVSO, the Kaunas State Choir, the Lithuanian National Opera Theater Choir, the Boys and Youth Choir ‘Ažuoliukas’, as well as several other Lithuanian soloists. Describing this Mahler concert during the opening as “historical”, Rinkevičius notes that it was a “very important event for Lithuanian musical culture as well as Lithuanian culture in general”.
“I remember my first conversation with Gintaras; he was doubtful it was possible to create outstanding acoustics in the hall,” said Ahnert. “Those doubts were dispelled during the first rehearsals in Autumn 2023 when Gintaras was amazed how good the acoustics were. Following the official opening concert in March, which saw the venue filled beyond capacity, yet still maintaining its exceptional sound quality, Gintaras was thrilled, and so was everyone else!
Photos: Gabrielius Jauniškis
