One of the many beautiful things about Omani culture is the giving of gifts to show appreciation. Nicholas Edwards was awarded one of five silver coffee pots in the Omani traditional style for his dedication and work on the Royal Opera House on behalf of Acoustic Dimensions.  The intricately detailed works of art were given to the people who had been deeply involved in the project across the years from its early development to completion. 

The Royal Opera House Muscat is a new venue which opened this week dedicated to the diverse artistic and cultural expressions from the Sultanate, the region, and the world.  The design for the Opera Hall was a collaboration between a UK-based design team—including Acoustic Dimensions and architects WATG—and the in-house interior designers of the Royal Court of Oman.  Although the building is called an opera house, it transforms into a classical concert hall and into a world-class organ recital hall.  It reflects the model of the early European concert halls and opera houses but with a rich style that embodies the culture and history of Oman.

Nicholas Edwards of Acoustic Dimensions is in Oman this week for the opening of the 1000-seat Royal Opera House in Muscat.

Established by Royal Decree, Royal Opera House Muscat is a beautiful new venue dedicated to the diverse artistic and cultural expressions from the Sultanate, the region, and the world.  As the acoustician working on the project, Nick was struck many times by the blend in the architecture of the old world history of Oman and the modern capacity to support world-class productions.

The Royal Opera House Muscat is made astonishingly unique with richly detailed carved stone and wood finishes in a sophisticated interior which both equips it in its mission to embody Oman’s cultural heritage and makes it a gem of artistic engagement. Oman realizes the Royal Directives to broaden people’s participation in cultural life.

The design for the Opera Hall was a collaboration between a UK-based design team—including Acoustic Dimensions and architects WATG—and the in-house interior designers of the Royal Court of Oman.  Although the building is called an opera house, it actually transforms into a classical concert hall and into a world-class organ recital hall.  It reflects the model of the early European concert halls and opera houses.

A reverberation chamber is included to support the acoustics for the pipe organ and adjustable acoustic elements are concealed behind elaborately carved screens to transform the acoustics for amplified sound.

Opening performances in the Opera House include Plácido Domingo, Renée Fleming, Yo-Yo Ma, American Ballet Theatre, and the Mariinsky Ballet with future seasons including performances that highlight Omani art, as well as collaborations between leading Arab, Indian, Asian, African and Western artists.

As Michael Kaiser wrote in the Huffington Post about the project, “Do not be surprised if a decade from now some of the most interesting arts projects in the world are emanating from a nation that many of us could not identify on the map.”

One of the things about designing spaces for live performance is that it give you an appreciation of the power of art. 

This summer, Acoustic Dimensions, had the privilege of hosting the Global Design Alliance at our offices in Dallas.  As part of the experience, we invited the participants to spend an evening at Theatre166—one of our projects—immersed in music, video, light and art.  David Rodriguez created a painting live during the event.  It was amazing to watch a piece of plywood transform into a painting about the joy of light and music in the course of two hours.

Even better is that the piece now hangs in our Dallas offices as a reminder not only of the event, but of why we do what we do.