Art, Music and Beauty are key to Pleasure and Peace of Mind

Art, Music and Beauty are key to Pleasure and Peace of Mind

The Terrace Theater at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC underwent a 16-month, $21.8 million renovation in 2016-17. All materials, including the English Sycamore wood paneling as well as the Maple seating and the carpeting, were selected to enhance the acoustic integrity of the space.

The Veneer Source, working with Quinn Evans and JBI Interiors/Parisi Interiors, custom sourced highly figured, FSC certified, quartered English Sycamore for the curved paneling throughout the hall. The species was selected for its visual appeal, bright tone, and acoustic qualities. Its creamy golden color, high luster, and fine, even texture contribute to an environment that is elegant, warm, intimate, and harmonious.

English Sycamore is often used in the making of musical instruments, particularly the backs, necks and scrolls of stringed instruments, and its use in the Terrace Theater evokes the fine instruments that are often used by world-class musicians in the space. While the species is mostly straight-grained, it may occasionally be curly or wavy, which can produce beautiful fiddleback or lacy figures, ideal for decorative veneers. It is this delicate fiddleback figuring that makes the paneling in the Terrace Theater especially stunning. “The figuring runs at a 90-degree angle to the grain itself creating a chevron-type of pattern,” said Shayne L. Brown, Vice President of Sales for The Veneer Source.

Careful, thoughtful sourcing: The architecture and design team stipulated from the start that all wood used throughout the theater be 100 percent Forest Stewardship Council-certified and free of pin knots. The team also specified high grade, clean logs that had been cold harvested in order to avoid the occurrence of mineral streaking and ensure optimum color.

Once obtained, the intricately figured English Sycamore panels were carefully milled into softly undulating panels reminiscent of sound waves. Over 63,500 square feet of veneer paneling–more than 500 individual panels–grace the theater, with those at the front of the hall being somewhat flatter, while those in the back are tighter in radius and thus more curvilinear. The degree of curvature of each panel is specifically designed to reflect sound back towards the audience as well as contribute to the undulant visual pattern. Amazingly, despite the varying radii, all of the panels were formed with only 12 molds. “It called for some creativity in the milling process and when assembling the pieces to form the pattern, but it helped us stay within budget,” said Brown.

Improving the theater experience for patrons: Enhancing the aesthetics of the Terrace Theater was a key goal of the project and, as such, maintaining or improving the acoustic quality of the venue was a key stipulation. Sycamore and many of its cousins in the Maple genus of the Sapindaceae family have excellent acoustic qualities that allow the tonal character of the sound spectrum to ring through without significant tone coloration.

PSYCHOACOUSTIC STUDIES—A TERM USED BY ACOUSTICIANS THAT REFERS TO HOW HUMANS PERCEIVE VARIOUS SOUNDS—INDICATE THAT SOUNDS ARE PERCEIVED TO BE RICHER, FULLER AND MORE OPULENT IN THE PRESENCE OF WOOD.

*Psychoacoustic studies—*a term used by acousticians that refers to how humans perceive various sounds—indicate that sounds are perceived to be richer, fuller and more opulent in the presence of wood.

Other aims of the project were to improve accessibility and update technology in the venue to support a broader range of programming. As part of the renovation, the hall was reconfigured to allow for wheelchair seating at all levels and technology upgrades that enable the theater’s two-person operating crew to reconfigure the stage walls and adjust the acoustic drapes as well as the acoustic banners located above the curved veneer panels that make up the forestage reflector to either absorb or disperse sound, depending on the occasion.

“It was an honor to be associated with this project,” said Brown. “Art, music and beauty are among the keys to happiness, pleasure and peace of mind. Especially during this time of COVID as we are all stressed and concerned about health, safety, and the environment, it’s important to remember that art, music and all the performance arts provide comfort, stimulation, beauty that both soothes and inspires.”