JHS ACOUSTIC / CINEMA DESIGN
A coordinated acoustic strategy for cinematic clarity, controlled impact and a premium auditorium experience.
Start a cinema design brief01 / DESIGN INTENT
We shape the room around the screen, the programme and the audience experience—then coordinate the surfaces, loudspeaker interfaces and technical boundaries that keep unwanted sound under control.
Set the venue grade, design life, fire strategy and future technical flexibility at the outset. Major screen, projection, sound and public-display systems should be coordinated with the approved project brief and current local requirements.
Separate audience, staff, service, pedestrian and vehicle flows. Plan illuminated egress, fire access, plant locations, parking, drainage, energy use and landscape works as one coordinated site strategy.
Control echoes, flutter, focusing and resonance while protecting direct soundtrack energy. Equipment, projection and external noise must not interfere with the auditorium experience.
Pair visual finish with acoustic function: absorptive screen and rear zones, calibrated lateral treatment, controlled ceiling coverage and detailing that avoids vibration at loudspeaker supports.
02 / SCREEN-FIRST PLANNING
The screen size and format establish the auditorium’s visual field, capacity and spatial proportion. Flat-screen auditoria are commonly resolved as rectangular or subtly tapered rooms with a controlled floor rake; specialist formats require their own geometry from the first planning stage.
03 / AUDITORIUM GEOMETRY
These planning values are a useful first check before modelling. The final design must be validated against programme, occupancy, loudspeaker system and applicable local codes.
04 / ACOUSTIC CONTROL MAP
Auditorium performance depends on the whole envelope: the screen wall, side reflections, ceiling, rear wall, loudspeaker mounting and technical adjacencies all contribute to perceived detail.
Prevent flutter and manage lateral reflections with a calibrated mix of absorption and diffusion.
Use controlled absorptive coverage to limit late overhead energy without losing visual depth.
Provide strong absorption behind loudspeaker groups and at the rear wall; isolate mounting details from vibration.
05 / REVERBERATION TIME
Use the 500–1,000 Hz band as the central reference, then assess reverberation at 125, 250, 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 4,000 Hz. Small stereo cinemas below 500 m³ may use the 500 m³ reference range as an initial guide.
Illustrative design reference derived from the supplied material. Confirm the target and test method with the appointed acoustician and governing standard.
06 / MATERIAL PALETTE
JHS combines acoustic performance with production-ready finish selection. The right composition is project-specific, but cinema schemes commonly layer timber acoustic panels, concealed polyester absorption, fabric-faced broad-band treatment and isolated lining assemblies at sound-sensitive boundaries.
07 / DESIGN LANGUAGE
Material and mood references for project discussions. Images are visual studies, not representations of completed JHS projects.
MAKE THE ROOM WORK HARDER
Send the room plan, intended use, capacity, screen format and finish ambition. We will help define the panel system and acoustic layout for your next cinema project.
Discuss your cinema project