A Sound Idea

edited by Craig Kellogg -- Interior Design, 6/1/2006 12:00:00 AM

The acoustics in most symphony halls can be fine-tuned, thanks partly to adjustable "clouds" that hang over the orchestra. That won't be necessary at David M. Schwarz/Architectural Services's $120 million Schermerhorn Symphony Center, opening in Nashville in September. Consulting firm Akustiks assessed every object in the 1,872-seat Laura Turner Concert Hall, right down to the frequency of the lightbulbs vibrating in the chandeliers' crackled-glass globes.

Another surprise: Sound-dulling fur coats will be relegated to coat check during performances—to keep concerts sounding bright during darkest winter.