The Shandong Convention Centre comprises a 2,500-seat congress hall and several theatres of varying sizes that range from 100 to 700 seats. The congress hall serves as the seat of government for the Shandong Province, with a population of approximately 70 million people.
The acoustic design solution is a combination of several unique concepts developed in collaboration with Bassett Acoustics from Australia and Professor Cao Xiao Zheng from Beijing. The variable acoustic characteristics required are achieved using a series of rotating cylinders located behind open timber screens on the walls. Electronically operated, the cylinders have a part-reflective and part-absorptive circumference, allowing ‘tuning’ of the side wall absorption or reflection.
Absorption-lined boxes above an open grid ceiling also open and close electronically to vary the acoustic characteristics. A combination of floating and fixed wall reflectors achieves the perfect acoustic environment for any event, ranging from unaided speech to a full symphony orchestra.
