Abstract
The Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral, built in the
14th century, is considered one of the greatest architectural
achievements of medieval England. The Lady Chapel is a semiindependent space connected to the north of the cathedral choir.
Its interior is a great example of the Decorated Gothic style,
being also the largest Lady Chapel and one of the widest stone
vaulted spaces in England. This work presents the study of the
acoustic behaviour of Ely Cathedral’s Lady Chapel throughout
history, which has been undertaken using both on-site
measurements and simulation techniques. Three different
acoustic models were created for the purpose of this work. The
acoustic model of the Lady Chapel in its current state was
adjusted and validated by taking as a reference a set of room
impulse responses registered on site. Then, the model was
carefully modified to recreate the acoustics of the space at
different points in history: as it was in its origins, before being
heavily damaged during the Reformation in the 16th century;
and when it was fully furnished to be used as the parish of Holy
Trinity, as it remained until the beginning of the 20th century. A
comprehensive study is undertaken based on a comparative
analysis of the acoustic parameters derived from the simulated
room impulse responses, and the results are discussed focussing
on the architectural alterations and the interior arrangement
modifications undertaken to serve the great varieties of uses it
has had over time.
14th century, is considered one of the greatest architectural
achievements of medieval England. The Lady Chapel is a semiindependent space connected to the north of the cathedral choir.
Its interior is a great example of the Decorated Gothic style,
being also the largest Lady Chapel and one of the widest stone
vaulted spaces in England. This work presents the study of the
acoustic behaviour of Ely Cathedral’s Lady Chapel throughout
history, which has been undertaken using both on-site
measurements and simulation techniques. Three different
acoustic models were created for the purpose of this work. The
acoustic model of the Lady Chapel in its current state was
adjusted and validated by taking as a reference a set of room
impulse responses registered on site. Then, the model was
carefully modified to recreate the acoustics of the space at
different points in history: as it was in its origins, before being
heavily damaged during the Reformation in the 16th century;
and when it was fully furnished to be used as the parish of Holy
Trinity, as it remained until the beginning of the 20th century. A
comprehensive study is undertaken based on a comparative
analysis of the acoustic parameters derived from the simulated
room impulse responses, and the results are discussed focussing
on the architectural alterations and the interior arrangement
modifications undertaken to serve the great varieties of uses it
has had over time.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | 2021 Immersive and 3D Audio |
| Subtitle of host publication | from Architecture to Automotive (I3DA) |
| Publisher | IEEE |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781665409988 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781665409995 |
| Publication status | Published - 9 Sept 2021 |
| Event | International Conference on Immersive and 3D Audio - Duration: 8 Sept 2021 → 10 Sept 2021 |
Conference
| Conference | International Conference on Immersive and 3D Audio |
|---|---|
| Period | 8/09/21 → 10/09/21 |
Bibliographical note
© IEEE 2023. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for detailsDatasets
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The Acoustics of Ely Cathedral's Lady Chapel: a study of its changes throughout history
Alvarez-Morales, L. (Creator), Lopez, M. (Creator), Alvarez-Corbacho, A. (Creator) & Bustamante, P. (Creator), Zenodo, 11 Sept 2021
Dataset