Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center

Seattle, WA

The Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center transformed a former classroom at Benaroya Hall into an immersive performance venue. Audio and video design for this new space helped create a powerful expression of sight and sound, adding another dimension to a multi-sensory music experience.

The technically dynamic room supports the needs of the community through speaking and teaching sessions, gala events, enhanced sound and video, and a multitude of music performances.

Schuler Shook provided architectural lighting design services for Octave 9. Garth Hemphill, while working with a firm prior to joining Schuler Shook, designed a robust array of AV technologies including a large, touch-sensitive video wall to support education and meeting events. The custom cylindrical projection screen system is composed of thirteen interlocking panels on a large circular track, with ten projectors arrayed to provide seamless projection on the full cylinder or portions of the cylinder.

A camera system is used to align, blend, and colour balance the ten projections into a seamless single image — or multiple images — as required by each performance. Multiple motion sensors and microphones provide interactivity with the video server systems to allow for real-time manipulation of video content by a performer.

The loudspeaker system, in conjunction with several microphones and loudspeakers in the ceiling and walls provide a fully immersive sound system that can also vary the room acoustics as needed for different music styles and performance ensembles going from a tight dry room to support spoken word, all the way to very long cathedral-like reverberation times with the push of a button.

The control systems for the room can be used by non-technical staff, recalling presets for various event types and layouts, or they can be fully manually controlled by technicians to provide detailed settings cue by cue for performances with more detailed requirements.

Schuler Shook designed the performance lighting infrastructure and dynamic architectural lighting. These elements support the dramatic experience and kinetic uses of the space.