Speaker
Description
Research on the acoustics of worship spaces received significant attention in the early 2000s, with important contributions addressing different religious traditions, architectural typologies, and liturgical practices. These researches helped to fill a gap in the scientific literature by combining acoustic measurements in existing buildings, subjective investigations, and the development of design criteria for spaces intended for speech, music, ritual, and communal participation. In recent years, studies on worship acoustics have become more widespread but less systematic. Much recent work has focused on the acoustic characterization of historic buildings, often in relation to documentation, conservation, or restoration. While this has produced valuable knowledge, less attention has been devoted to the changing acoustic needs of contemporary worship spaces, including the use of sound reinforcement, multifunctional layouts, evolving liturgical practices, and the expectations of diverse congregations. This study aims to identify current acoustic design trends in worship buildings, considering both new and existing spaces across different religious creeds and regions. The analysis focuses on how design strategies address speech intelligibility, musical quality (where it is relevant), ritual atmosphere, flexibility of use, and the preservation of architectural and cultural identity. By examining recent research and design approaches, the study seeks to clarify whether contemporary worship acoustics is converging towards "purely functional" design principles or remains primarily shaped by worship-specific requirements.