Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall
Project
Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco required 88 unique wall panels, each weighing 40 pounds per square foot. These acoustic “reflectors” were designed by Kierkegaard Architectural Acousticians to reflect sound more efficiently than the original walls. Because the panels would be too heavy to lift once inside the building, they were fabricated out of lightweight hollow but strong FRP, easily lifted and mounted onto steel trusses, and filled with 73 tons of sand after installation. No two 88 panels are the same shape, and some weigh as much as 8,500 lbs.
Details
Location: San Francisco, CA
Client Name: San Francisco Symphony Foundation
Expertise: K&A solved a significant installation problem by making the panels hollow and light enough to lift inside the building and then filling them with sand.
Partners:
Engineer: Juri Komendant
SOM, Architect
Dinwiddie Construction, General Contractor
Lawrence Kierkegaard, Acoustician
Awards
1992 Achievement Award, Best in Show For excellence in composites manufacturing – Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall acoustic wall panels.
Composites Fabricators Association
“Their contribution during the design and construction of the new Davies Hall was invaluable and a major factor in its success.”
“Mr. Kreysler and his company far surpassed our expectations in terms of the quality of the craftsmanship and effectiveness of the product … accuracy was of pivotal importance.”
