After wintering at the sonorously splendid Disney Concert Hall, the LA Philharmonic didn't want to summer in its usual digs - the decrepit Hollywood Bowl. Luckily, the 82-year-old landmark recently got its first major revamp. Over the years, the outdoor venue has had to meet the needs of everyone from the Beatles to Stravinsky. Add to that the unpredictable influence of barometric pressure and nearby traffic, and the Bowl's acoustics were below subpar. So Philharmonic execs called on architects Craig Hodgetts and Hsin-Ming Fung to conceive a $25 million upgrade. The key improvement? A retractable "halo" - a 60- by 90-foot fiberglass canopy that can be raised or lowered by winches, like those used to lift anchor on a ship. The louvers within the halo can be individually adjusted to reflect and diffuse sound for optimal acoustics. The system also stores sound settings, such as the ideal response to windy conditions, so the Bowl's audio technicians can recall past solutions during future performances. "There's a doctoral thesis in that stuff," Hodgetts says.
- Jessie Scanlon
credit Hodgetts + Fung Design and Architecture
credit Hodgetts + Fung Design and Architecture
Hi-fi-haloé: Adjustable louvers on the canopy ensure optimal sound.
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