Fan-shaped concert halls discourage early side reflections and tend to fail acoustically.

Evidence

It is possible to design successful concert halls radically different from the shoebox shape. The Munich Philharmonic is one such attempt, definitely nontraditional. However, it too is widely regarded as an acoustical failure. Figure 27.19 shows the area near the stage. Shortly after it opened in 1985, Leonard Bernstein famously said: “Burn it.” Fan shaped, with seats and reflecting surfaces in odd places, it discourages early side reflections. The city of Munich is already considering a new hall to replace it. — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 2584

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the broader thread of shoebox-hall acoustics and early side reflections that presumably runs through this book’s earlier chapters.
• CANDY: Bernstein’s ‘Burn it’ reaction to Munich’s Philharmonic is a memorable, tweetable anecdote about architectural acoustics.