SM&W Contribution
The Asia Society Texas Center sits in the prestigious Houston Museum District. A permanent home for the Asia Society Texas, it functions as an Asian arts and entertainment center. Shen Milsom & Wilke provided acoustical and audiovisual consulting services to the building, which was designed by luminary architect Yoshio Taniguchi.
The 300-seat auditorium required a modern minimalistic aesthetic while maintaining equally distributed sound levels. We used unique acoustic diffusers based on a numerical sequence, providing variable acoustic mechanisms that modify and tune the environment for a wide array of programming options. In order to isolate airborne and impact noise levels from the multipurpose rooms located directly above, the ceiling used a floating floor, which allows maximum flexibility in the rooms above without affecting the auditorium’s functionality.
The auditorium’s audiovisual design supports theatrical, music, cultural and dance performances as well as educational events and movies. The systems allow the large room to be transformed into a divisible configuration for each event with a background music system that provides flexible audio functionality. SM&W worked closely with the design team to develop approaches that met the audiovisual requirements while having a very minimal visual impact to the building’s unique design.
Photo Credit: Kendall/Heaton
