Another similar story in New York Magazine today:

Why Don’t Architects Listen to Their Buildings?
By Justin Davidson

link:
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/12/why-do-architects-not-listen-to-their-buildings.html#

Along similar lines, a successful musician opened a wine bar in Brooklyn
and paid extra attention to the sonics of the space:

(scroll down a bit) >>

http://www.bonappetit.com/restaurants-travel/article/james-murphy-four-horsemen

I live nearby and have been curious to hear what it sounds like in there.



On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 11:38 AM, Malcolm <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> One of the nicest, and most beautiful, recording studios I ever worked in
> was in the remains of the old California Hotel (?) in San Francisco in the
> late 60s/early 70s. It was south of Market, on a corner, right across the
> street from what was to become the southwest corner of the Moscone Center.
> You entered from an alley at the back.
> Anyhow, the building had been gutted in the center to the roof and the
> ceiling elevation was around 60 feet straight up from the studio floor.
> Studio was probably about 25'x30' or so, plus the booth. There were
> balconies on each floor, plants hanging from the skylight far above and
> plenty of rococo wall decorations (which possibly helped with any standing
> waves). Man, the room BREATHED! I walked into the center of the space,
> clapped my hands once and got a big grin. Perfect.
> The studio didn't last long. It was gone by the time the building was
> razed.
> Malcolm
>
> *******
>
>
> On 12/30/2015 1:57 AM, Tom Fine wrote:
>
>> From the NY Times:
>>>
>>
>> http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/12/29/arts/design/sound-architecture.html
>>
>> The worst offender as far as terrible sound-space design, seems to be
>> franchised casual-dining restaurants and coffee shops. Always too loud and
>> boomy for my liking. I was in a bar/restaurant yesterday in Danbury CT, a
>> place built into the end of a strip mall but with surprising character.
>> There were 8 of us at the table, and a bunch of somewhat raucus guys at the
>> bar. Yet is was easy to hear all conversation at the table. I got to
>> wondering why. Answers: the bartender didn't have music blaring too loud
>> for conversation, it was just some sonic background noise; and, most
>> importantly, the place's ceiling went all the way up, no tiles or other
>> height-reducer. They built their decorating sceme vertical, and so took
>> advantage of keeping it open up to the metal roof beams. This created a
>> room for the sound to dissapate even though the space was narrow and
>> rectangular. Compare this to a typical Starbucks, some of which are like
>> being in echo chambers with a massive "boom bump" in the frequencies of
>> loud male voices.
>>
>> -- Tom Fine
>>
>