MEASURED PROJECT RESULT
NR-27 background noise | T30 1.28 s at 500 Hz | D50 0.56 at 500 Hz | STI 0.68
Project Overview
Guangdong Baiyun University needed a university auditorium acoustic design that could support ceremonies, performances, presentations and amplified speech in a large multipurpose hall. LEEYIN completed the acoustic design and interior construction in 45 days. The finished 1,345-seat auditorium has an approximate volume of 15,750 m³, with stalls and balcony seating.
Post-completion acoustic acceptance testing documented a background-noise rating of NR-27, an unoccupied T30 reverberation time of 1.28 seconds at 500 Hz, D50 speech clarity of 0.56 at 500 Hz and a Speech Transmission Index (STI) of 0.68. These first-party measurements provide a clear performance record for the completed space.
Project takeaway: For a fast-track multipurpose auditorium, acoustic performance is most reliable when room modeling, interior design, construction coordination and post-completion testing are managed as one connected process.
Project Snapshot
| Item | Project data |
|---|---|
| Project | Guangdong Baiyun University Auditorium |
| Location | Guangzhou, Guangdong, China |
| Venue type | Multipurpose university auditorium |
| Capacity | 1,345 standard theatre seats |
| Seating layout | Stalls and balcony |
| Approximate room volume | 15,750 m³ |
| Stage edge to last row | Approximately 33.5 m |
| Room width | Approximately 38 m |
| Lowest audience-area point to roof | Approximately 15 m |
| LEEYIN scope | Acoustic design and interior construction |
| Delivery period | 45 days |
| Verification | Acoustic acceptance measurements at 24 receiver positions across the stalls and balcony |
The Acoustic Brief for a Large Multipurpose Auditorium
The auditorium is a rectangular room with a broad seating area, substantial height and two audience levels. Its approximate 15,750 m³ volume makes the control of reflected sound a central design issue. The venue also needed to serve more than one program type: spoken-word events require clarity and intelligibility, while performances need a controlled but supportive acoustic response.
Key definition: University auditorium acoustic design is the coordinated planning of room geometry, sound-absorbing and sound-diffusing finishes, background-noise control and sound-system support so that speech and performances remain clear and balanced throughout the audience area.
In a hall of this scale, interior surfaces cannot be selected only for appearance. Wall and ceiling geometry, finish distribution, seating absorption and building services all influence how sound travels and decays. If these elements are resolved independently, late changes can compromise either the visual concept or the acoustic target.
The project therefore required an integrated response to three priorities:
- Control sound decay in a 15,750 m³ room. Reverberation had to be managed across both the stalls and balcony.
- Support speech clarity throughout the seating area. The last row sits approximately 33.5 m from the stage edge.
- Translate the design into a finished interior within 45 days. Acoustic intent, decoration and site execution had to stay aligned.
Why Acoustic Design Had to Work with the Interior Architecture
Auditorium acoustics are created by the whole room, not by a single visible product. The completed hall uses a coordinated wall-and-ceiling composition, stepped seating geometry and an enclosed balcony. Each of these elements changes the paths by which sound reaches the audience.
For this project, the acoustic concept was developed alongside the interior design rather than added after decoration. Digital room studies helped the team examine the audience geometry and the relationship between the stage, walls, ceiling and balcony. The construction phase then translated that coordinated intent into the finished hall.
The available project archive does not identify the exact acoustic product models or layer build-ups used. For specification purposes, those material details should be confirmed from the original drawings, schedules or product submittals rather than inferred from photographs.
A 45-Day Integrated Design-and-Build Program
LEEYIN’s recorded scope covered both acoustic design and interior construction. Completing the auditorium and putting it into use within 45 days required design decisions to remain buildable and site work to preserve the acoustic strategy.
The delivery sequence can be summarized in four connected stages:
- Define the room and audience conditions. The team established the auditorium dimensions, volume, seating layout and functional uses that would shape the acoustic response.
- Coordinate acoustic and visual design. Room studies and interior visualizations aligned the performance strategy with the architectural character of the hall.
- Execute the interior on site. Wall, ceiling and auditorium finishes were installed as a coordinated construction package.
- Measure the completed room. Acceptance testing covered background noise, reverberation time, speech clarity and speech transmission.
This sequence reduced the risk of a gap between design intent and built performance. It also created a clear endpoint: the project was not considered complete until the finished room had been tested.
From Acoustic Model to Built Interior
The project documentation shows a digital room model alongside photographs of the completed auditorium and the hall in use. This progression matters because acoustic calculations only become valuable when their assumptions are preserved through construction.
The room model represented the main audience geometry, including the stalls, balcony, stage relationship and enclosing surfaces. During construction, the visual and acoustic concepts had to be coordinated with real dimensions, junctions and installation tolerances. The completed photographs show that the major wall and ceiling forms remained consistent with the design visualization.
For clients, this model-to-site continuity offers two practical benefits:
- It makes acoustic decisions visible before construction begins.
- It provides a shared reference for designers, contractors and the owner during a compressed program.
Construction Coordination and Completed Fit-Out
The site record shows the auditorium progressing from structural and interior works to a fully finished hall. Construction images document the coordinated installation of the wall and ceiling architecture, while completion images show the seating, stage environment and decorative finishes in place.
Fast-track auditorium work depends on disciplined coordination. Ceiling geometry must coexist with lighting, ventilation, loudspeakers and access requirements. Wall assemblies must be positioned accurately, and decorative details cannot block or alter acoustically active surfaces without review.
The value of an integrated acoustic design-and-construction scope is that these decisions can be resolved against one performance objective. Instead of treating acoustic work as a late corrective package, the project team carried it through the interior build.
Acoustic Acceptance Measurements
After the hard and soft finishes were completed, the auditorium underwent acoustic acceptance testing. The test plan shown in the project record includes 24 receiver positions distributed across the stalls and balcony, with a defined source position near the stage.
Testing multiple audience positions is important in a large hall because a single measurement cannot describe conditions across two seating levels. Distributed receiver points help reveal whether sound decay and speech transmission are reasonably consistent from front to back and between the stalls and balcony.
Measured Results
| Acoustic metric | Measured result | What the metric describes |
|---|---|---|
| Background noise | NR-27 | The steady ambient noise condition in the completed auditorium |
| Unoccupied reverberation time, T30 at 500 Hz | 1.28 seconds | The rate at which sound decays in the room |
| Speech clarity, D50 at 500 Hz | 0.56 | The proportion of early sound energy that supports speech definition |
| Speech Transmission Index, STI | 0.68 | The transmission quality of speech from source to listener |
| Receiver positions | 24 | Measurement coverage across the stalls and balcony |
All figures above are measured, user-provided project data reproduced from the supplied acoustic acceptance record. The archive does not name the governing acoustic standard, measurement equipment, complete octave-band values or occupancy condition for every metric. The results are therefore presented as documented project measurements, without adding an unverified compliance claim.
What the Results Mean for Auditorium Use
The four measurements describe complementary aspects of the room:
- Background noise indicates whether mechanical and environmental noise could mask quiet speech or performance detail.
- T30 reverberation time describes how quickly sound energy decays after the source stops.
- D50 speech clarity examines the balance of early and late energy relevant to speech definition.
- STI summarizes how effectively speech information is transmitted to listeners.
No single number can represent the complete listening experience. Together, however, these metrics create a more credible performance picture than a visual completion record alone. They show that the project team evaluated both room sound and speech communication after construction.
High-Fidelity Translation of the Interior Design
The project archive compares an interior visualization with a photograph of the completed auditorium. The principal ceiling bands, wall composition, color palette and seating arrangement were closely reproduced on site.
This visual continuity is especially significant in an acoustically coordinated room. Major changes to wall or ceiling forms can alter reflection paths and the effective distribution of acoustic finishes. Maintaining the design geometry therefore protects both the intended appearance and the underlying acoustic strategy.
Lessons for Future University Auditorium Projects
The Guangdong Baiyun University Auditorium case offers five transferable lessons:
- Begin with room volume and use conditions. Capacity alone does not define the acoustic challenge; height, length, width and program mix also matter.
- Coordinate acoustic design with the interior from the start. Integrated decisions reduce late conflicts between performance, appearance and construction.
- Use digital studies as a shared project tool. A model helps teams understand the intended room geometry before work reaches the site.
- Protect the acoustic intent during construction. Junctions, substitutions and service coordination should be reviewed against the room strategy.
- Verify the finished hall with distributed measurements. Testing background noise, T30, D50 and STI across the audience area provides evidence of delivered performance.
Architects and education clients planning similar spaces can review LEEYIN’s multipurpose theatre auditorium case and school auditorium acoustic project for additional project context.
Conclusion
Guangdong Baiyun University Auditorium demonstrates how a fast-track program can combine architectural character with measured acoustic performance. LEEYIN completed the acoustic design and interior construction for the 1,345-seat, approximately 15,750 m³ hall in 45 days, then documented the finished room through multi-position acoustic acceptance testing.
The result is a project case built on evidence: coordinated room design, visible construction delivery, close reproduction of the interior concept and measured values for background noise, reverberation time, speech clarity and STI.
Planning a university auditorium, theatre or multipurpose hall? Contact LEEYIN to review the room volume, seating layout, intended uses, acoustic targets, interior concept and testing plan before construction begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was LEEYIN’s scope at Guangdong Baiyun University Auditorium?
LEEYIN’s recorded scope covered acoustic design and interior construction for the multipurpose auditorium. The work connected room studies, interior design coordination, site execution and post-completion acoustic testing, allowing the acoustic intent to remain aligned with the finished architectural result throughout the 45-day delivery period.
How large is Guangdong Baiyun University Auditorium?
The auditorium contains 1,345 standard theatre seats across the stalls and balcony. Its approximate volume is 15,750 m³. The distance from the stage edge to the last row is about 33.5 m, the room is about 38 m wide and its recorded audience-area height reaches approximately 15 m.
How quickly was the auditorium delivered?
The project documentation states that LEEYIN completed the acoustic design and interior construction and put the auditorium into use within 45 days. The compressed program was supported by coordinating acoustic planning, interior visualization, construction execution and final measurement as connected stages of one delivery process.
What acoustic results were measured in the completed auditorium?
Acceptance testing documented background noise of NR-27, an unoccupied T30 reverberation time of 1.28 seconds at 500 Hz, D50 speech clarity of 0.56 at 500 Hz and STI of 0.68. The test plan shows 24 receiver positions across the stalls and balcony.
Why measure T30, D50, STI and background noise in an auditorium?
These metrics describe different parts of the listening environment. T30 measures sound decay, D50 indicates early-energy support for speech, STI evaluates speech transmission and background noise identifies ambient sound that may mask content. Used together, they provide a more complete assessment than any one metric alone.
