SM&W Contribution
The Qatar National Convention Centre boasts an iconic design by renowned Japanese architect, Arata Isozati. Its signature entrance recalls a traditional gathering space in Qatari culture: the Sidra tree, which hosted scholars and poets to gather and exchange knowledge. The complex houses a 4,000-person conference hall, 52 meeting rooms and theaters that can accommodate 30,000 people.
The 500-seat theater incorporated extensive adjustable acoustics with the use of sidewall banners and movable overhead ceiling panels. The side walls of the stage and the lower walls of the seating area incorporated a unique, acoustically diffusive design created by the architect and rendered in a dense, custom wood construction for diffuse lateral reflections and bass support. The space is used for events involving amplified speech or music as well as chamber orchestras, choral recitals and folk music..
Our acousticians also provided acoustic separation between each space in order to achieve speech privacy and sound isolation. They recommended architectural volume, shape, diffusion and reflection control for audio imaging, and they discussed preferred architectural finishes to suit aesthetic design intent.