The Hodgson & Hodgson Group has installed a state-of-the-art acoustic canopy as part of a £4m restoration of Leeds Town Hall.

The 150-year-old Grade I listed building already hosts more than 2,000 separate events each year and includes the impressive Victoria Hall, a major conference and music venue. Each year, the hall also plays host to the Leeds International Concert Season but with restoration, it was decided to extend its use to a greater variety of musical events. Hodgson & Hodgson was invited to design and install an acoustic canopy with the aim of improving the hall’s overall acoustics.

Hodgson & Hodgson’s acoustic canopy was specifically designed to fit the space above Victoria Hall’s stage and orchestral pit. The design team based the canopy around sub-frame support rigging, similar to that used for many pop concerts. Suspended by four cables and fixed to a reeling drum in the attic space of the building, the canopy supports 12 three-dimensional acoustic 'sails' incorporating telescopic arms. Each sail has been constructed using 18mm birch plywood, with a clear matt lacquered finish to match the colour of the existing floor in the Victoria Hall.

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The sails have been set at different angles, ranging from nine to 90 degrees, and oriented to optimise the acoustic effect. The canopy can be easily lowered for essential maintenance and repair work.

The whole of the Town Hall building has been restored to its original Victorian splendour and extreme care was needed during installation of the acoustic canopy to ensure that the ornate decorative features of the hall were protected from damage. The installation was successfully completed and Victoria Hall is now able to host a more diverse range of musical, individual and corporate events. Leeds City Council feels that the canopy was a wise investment and that extended the versatility of Victoria Hall as an event venue was definitely something its members wanted to achieve as part of the restoration work.

"Acoustic sails are particularly good at reflecting and directing sound to meet the particular needs of musicians and conductors, so they were ideal for Victoria Hall," comments Glynne Balshaw-Jones, managing director of Hodgson & Hodgson. "Orchestras have different requirements to brass bands who, in turn, want different acoustics to pantomime productions. Our design expertise meant we were able to produce a bespoke solution for this unique building, something in keeping with the interior of the hall but which would provide 21st Century acoustic performance."

(JM)