Variable-geometry acoustical dome
Variable-geometry acoustical dome is a dome-like or shaped ceiling, installed in a new or an existing building that modifies the acoustical performance of that space. Acoustical domes are used in auditoriums and theaters as surface to either reverberate the sound to a whole audience (acoustical shell) or to absorb acoustical wave and avoid echoes.
Concept
“Variable-geometry acoustical domes” is a design concept developed by David Serero in 2004, at the Villa Medici in Rome. Suspended to the vaulted ceiling of the grand salon of Villa Medici, the device is an articulated faceted surface which form and position can be modulated by 12 control points tight to ropes. This transformation of shape allows for modification of the acoustical behavior of the hall in real time depending on the type of event, such as concerts, lectures and plays. As Serero states: “This project defines architectural form not in a final state, but rather as an ephemeral and variable condition, where the possibility of its transformation is inscribed inside of its geometry.”