Located in the heart of London, the Royal Festival Hall https://znaki.fm/places/royal-festival-hall/, with its 67-year history, will host the 2018 Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony on the banks of the Thames, celebrating the most outstanding names in football.
While nominees Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić, and Mohamed Salah hope to take the stage on Monday, September 24, this stage has been home to the renowned London Philharmonic Orchestra for 26 years.
This building is located in one of the most famous corners of the British capital, just a few steps from Westminster Palace, Big Ben, and the London Eye.
Construction of the Royal Festival Hall
The London County Council led the Festival Hall construction project. Their chief architect was Robert Matthew. He assembled a team of talented young designers. Leslie Martin became the chief architect of the project. Other designers included Edwin Williams, Peter Morrow, and furniture designer Robin Day. Hope Baginal was the sound expert, known as the acoustic consultant.
A politician named Herbert Morrison really pushed the project forward. He made sure that Leslie Martin was a key part of the design team. Morrison wanted the Festival Hall to be a very special building.
First opening
First opened in 1951 for the Festival of Britain, this 2,500-seat venue became England’s premier venue for classical music, hosting such luminaries as Dmitri Shostakovich and Daniel Barenboim. Over more than half a century, artists such as George Harrison and Frank Sinatra have also performed here.
Following theatrical, literary, and art exhibitions, which feature prominently among the events offered by the Southbank Centre (of which the Royal Festival Hall is a part), a new constellation of geniuses will be added to the long list of personalities that this venue has hosted over seven decades, thanks to the “Best of” ceremony to be held on September 24.
Sound and acoustics
The Festival Hall was one of the first concert halls built using scientific concepts of sound. Experts such as Hope Bagenal studied how sound would behave in the hall. They even tested the seats in a laboratory. They also worked to prevent outside noise from entering.
After the hall opened, some people felt that the acoustics were not ideal. It was difficult for performers to hear each other on stage. The sound was sometimes described as “too dry.” This meant that it did not resonate enough, especially for low notes. It was perfect for chamber music, but less suitable for older classical music.
Sound correction
American sound expert Leo Beranek discovered that the interior surfaces of the hall absorbed too much sound. This made the music sound less rich. Scientists developed a system called “auxiliary resonance.” This system used microphones and loudspeakers. It added sound energy back into the hall. This helped make the sound more audible.
Small microphones were placed on the ceiling. Each microphone was tuned to a specific sound frequency. This helped amplify low sounds that did not echo enough. A total of 172 channels were used. This system helped, but it was not perfect. With age, it sometimes made strange sounds. It was turned off in 1998.
