A resplendent new addition to the cultural life of China’s largest city, Bank of Communications New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center (BOCOM New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center), offers state-of-the-art technical facilities for hosting events of any type, from business conferences to pop and symphonic concerts, jazz festivals, and Broadway plays. The 2,500-seat Grand Theater, the crown jewel of the new development, is the first venue of this size anywhere to offer a “high-power” Constellation acoustic system, one capable of creating a broad palette of natural-sounding aural environments and — when called on to do so — enveloping audiences in dynamic immersive sound experiences using the Spacemap Go spatial sound design and mixing tool.
The extraordinary capabilities of the system were showcased in late October with a unique opening production that combined symphonic, jazz, electronic, pop, and dramatic performances for an auditory feast with Constellation optimizing the hall for each genre.
The opening performances were particularly pleasing for James Chow, head of commercial real estate for principal investor Shun Tak Holdings. Chow took a supervisory role from the outset to ensure the Grand Theater would offer the ultimate experience for audiences and performers alike.
“A highlight of the opening show was a performance by Shunza, a Chinese-American singer known for her ‘velvet’ voice,” he recalls. “The acoustic performance was accommodating and intriguing as I had expected, and her voice also was well balanced with the live jazz band, bringing an intimate and dreamy experience to the audience.”
When first proposed eight years ago, the Grand Theater was designed principally for hosting musicals, Chinese opera, dance, and rock/pop concerts — all requiring amplification. The basic room geometry was designed with these uses in mind. However, at a later point, the brief was changed to also include orchestral music, and this presented a challenge to the acoustical consultant, London-based Theatre Projects.
“The auditorium’s geometry was fixed and impossible to change,” says Lead Acoustic Consultant Fabrizio Filippi. “Fortunately, the active acoustic system offered a crucial advantage, allowing the provision of significant early reflections at all audience seats without altering the internal structure of the auditorium.”
According to Filippi, a Meyer Sound Constellation system was the preferred option when the electroacoustic solution was proposed. “It was a priority since the beginning, thanks to the quality of the components and long-standing experience in the field of active acoustics,” he says. At this point, Filippi worked to ensure that the physical and electronic elements of the room acoustic would blend harmoniously. “The room acoustic provides a blank canvas that enables Constellation to work to its full potential, minimizing any interference or sound coloration. In some instances, however, the physical acoustics provide useful support from surfaces that are sound reflective, such as elements in the ceiling.”
The system installed here is unique in that the great majority of the 320 self-powered, full-range loudspeakers distributed laterally and overhead throughout the hall are higher-powered models such as the UPM-1XP and ULTRA-X20XP, each capable of carrying high-level discrete sounds throughout the auditorium. This allows sound designers to create dynamic immersive sound experiences, either with Constellation off or in conjunction with a Constellation acoustic pre-set. Such dual-use capability previously was offered only in auditoriums seating at most a few hundred.
The system is also unique in that it is the first to integrate loudspeakers for Constellation’s active stage shell into the LED video wall. The loudspeakers inside rotate so that the wall can be erected with either the passive wall surface or the active video screens facing the auditorium. Constellation in the Grand Theater provides multiple pre-sets to accommodate performances with sound reinforcement or for acoustic-only performances of folk, operatic, symphonic, or choral music. If desired, users can customize parameters in each pre-set for intensity, warmth, and brightness.
For amplified performances, the hall has installed a permanent reinforcement system comprising Meyer Sound LYON, LEOPARD, and LINA line array loudspeakers with deep bass support from 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements.
James Chow expects that this investment in extraordinary sound will yield long-term benefits. “Constellation allows greater flexibility in the use of the venue,” he says. “During the day it can be utilized for events such as meetings and luncheons, with shows in the evening. This flexibility maximizes our return.”
Since the grand opening festivities, BOCOM New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center has hosted a full schedule of events, most notably a concert by Placido Domingo that drew rave reviews not only for his performance but also for the rich acoustic ambiance provided by Constellation. “My conversations with our VIP guests suggest that Constellation has exceeded their expectations,” says Chow.
The Center also incorporates a black box performance space with retractable seating for up to 400 patrons. The sound system here utilizes Meyer Sound LINA very compact linear line array loudspeakers and ULTRA-X42 compact loudspeakers with deep bass from 750-LFC and 900-LFC low-frequency control elements.
