The world’s longest timber arch structure and one of the largest free-span roofs ever constructed will dramatically reduce the volume of sound spreading into neighbourhoods. 

That is according to a report published by the City of Vancouver outlining how the new PNE Ampitheatre’s starburst design will allow year-round concerts to proceed without disturbing residents.

Designed by Revery Architecture in collaboration with Stages Consultants, one of North America’s top acoustics design firms, the 105-metre curved roof “ensures that neighbours of the new venue will enjoy improved peace and quiet during stage performances,” according to report author Damien Doria, who said the timber roof is crucial in focusing the noise and reducing it’s spread.

Mr Doria said the roof’s shape and size would direct sound toward the audience, reducing the likelihood of the sound “spreading to areas beyond the amphitheatre,” adding that the previous roofless theatre was in a “free-field environment” with “virtually no mitigation of sound.”He added that the roof’s unique design, which reimagines the concept of a traditional concrete shell but instead uses a mass timber design, effectively blocks and redirects sound toward the audience to create a more efficient acoustic environment that doesn’t need the same level of amplification.

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