Built in 1926 as a planetarium, the Tonhalle Düsseldorf installed an electronic reverberation system in 2005 to adapt its acoustics to a wide range of music performances. With technical issues now compromising its performance, the venue recently sought a new system from Amadeus Acoustics.
Set on the banks of the Rhine, the venue is among Germany’s most beautiful concert halls, with its blue dome fitted with LEDs and sophisticated lighting offering a visual spectacle reminiscent of a starry sky, while its history as the home of the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra makes it a ‘planetarium of music’.
The Tonhalle needed an upgrade that would respect its architecture while enhancing its sound for every type of concert, from intimate vocal recitals to full orchestral works. Following extensive listening tests and demonstrations, Peutz Consult, the acoustic planners who had also worked on the original system, were convinced of Amadeus Acoustics’ capabilities. In parallel, Jürgen Meyer of Kottke Bühnenplanung reworked the existing electroacoustic infrastructure, redesigning the system based on the hall’s current inventory and developing the technical specifications for the tender.
After a competitive tender process, integrator Thomann commissioned Amadeus Acoustics to deliver a solution that would bring the hall’s acoustics into C21. The challenge was significant. The Tonhalle’s dome and curved sidewalls, remnants of its planetarium past, make sound reflections unpredictable. To achieve a listening experience comparable to a more conventional music hall, the team had to carefully control early reflections while preserving the hall’s character and warmth.
The new solution’s Active Acoustics can be tailored to each type of performance, offering immersive sound with virtual sources for 5.1/7.1 surround and the ability to optimise speech and vocal clarity.
The system upgrade was built on Amadeus Acoustics’ ART platform, powered by the ART:Hub2 hardware and using the ART::AP (Active Acoustics Performance) module. Modular and scalable, Amadeus ART is a comprehensive ecosystem of hardware, software, services and content that integrates with third-party systems and the hall’s existing inventory including new power amplifiers and microphone preamplifiers, as well as the Tonhalle’s existing stock of 64 microphones and 96 loudspeakers, with replacements installed only where necessary.
Custom presets allow the Tonhalle to adapt to different performance needs, among them Probe is for rehearsals, maintaining transparency even in complex passages, while Orchestra gives concert acoustics, supporting both solo passages and large orchestral works and Chor is for vocal and romantic music, polyphonic structures and organ pieces. Additionally, Sakral provides ‘monumental reverberation’ for sacred music or ceremonial performances.
Throughout the project, collaboration was key. Peutz Consult’s Klaus-Hendrik Lorenz-Kierakiewitz and Martijn Vercammen, deeply involved in both the original 2005 planning and this renovation, worked with Amadeus Acoustics and Thomann. The result has exceeded expectations, bringing a significant improvement over the old system that has transformed the hall’s acoustic landscape.