Acoustic Design of Reconstructed Banff Pavilion of Frank Lloyd Wright

Abstract

The late Frank Lloyd Wright designed and through an Alberta architect installed a pavilion in Banff, Alberta within the Parks Canada's land. The pavilion was built in the prairie style with a gathering space, washrooms and minimal food services. Built in 1916, it was used only in the summer. However, it was demolished in 1933 due to damage from two major floods. A group of Wright aficionados is very keen to get the pavilion rebuilt with the aim of preserving the original design. The group retained seven Ryerson University academics to study the feasibility of recreating the pavilion with the stipulation that the space can be used all through the year. One of the envisaged uses of the space is a small concert hall in the main meeting space. The original and reconstructed pavilion space uses materials such as glass, stones and concrete. The envelope materials are highly reflective. The acoustical response of the space was simulated in ODEON for different scenarios. One short jazz piece, Autumn Leaves, was used to generate wave files by conducting auralization through OdeOn. Based on the responses movable acoustic panels were designed to produce acceptable concert hall from an acoustic perspective. The results of the acoustic simulations will be presented in this paper.