Ruth Seaton James Auditorium
The 650 seat Ruth Seaton James Auditorium is part of the $60 million Cedar Bridge Academy in Bermuda It is the largest and best equipped performing arts space on the island; one of the principal venues for the annual Bermuda Festival.
The project started out as a renovation of the existing Ruth Seaton James auditorium. After a full set of acoustical measurements in the existing room and a substantial renovation design process, it was decided to scrap the existing building and replace it with an entirely new one. In so doing, the acoustically problematic fan shaped plan was abandoned for a more favourable rectangular format. A shallow, wrap around balcony provides a more intimate connection between the audience and performer. The facia of the side balconies have been designed to direct early reflected sound towards the back of the room where it is needed most. In addition to the 650-seat auditorium, the new “mega-school” includes music rehearsal space, music classrooms, a wide range of computer labs, gymnasia, etc.
