How to Design an Auditorium
Silence, then a single note.
The room decides how it sounds.
Learn the art of designing performance spaces where acoustics, sightlines, and anticipation combine, and every seat feels like the best in the house.
Every seat you draw will get clear sound and view.
- Shape sound through form — and finally understand why some rooms sing while others die
- Design theatrical anticipation — from the first foyer buzz to the moment the curtain rises
- Serve performers and audiences — with equal care, insight, and respect for their different needs
- Handle prestige cultural briefs — of the kind that instantly elevate any designer's portfolio
- Perfect the unseen details — that audiences feel deeply but will never consciously spot
- Collaborate with specialists — while still keeping the guiding vision firmly your own
Built by one of the most-read architecture platforms in the world.
RTF | Rethinking The Future has spent over a decade publishing the ideas, projects and voices shaping architecture — and now brings that depth to learning. Every course is researched, written and produced by the RTF team.
Great performances need great rooms. Master them.
A clear path. Five steps.
Everything unlocks instantly with membership · learn at your own pace
If you see yourself here, start today.
A few hours from now, you could already see differently.
Auditorium acoustics and sightlines were things I hoped a consultant would fix later. Learning the geometry myself, from seating rake to reverberation basics, moved those decisions back into my own hands where they belong. My hall design now sounds as considered as it looks.
Simple by design.
Watch
Short, focused video lessons — each one a single idea, clearly explained.
Apply
End every lesson with a small task that pushes your real project forward.
Transform
Watch your work develop a point of view that is unmistakably yours.
Answered simply.
Do I need acoustics expertise before starting?
No. The course explains acoustic behaviour in design terms — shaping, materials, volume — so you can collaborate intelligently with specialist consultants.
Does it cover multi-purpose halls or only dedicated theatres?
Both, including the compromises multi-use demands and how to make them gracefully rather than badly.
Do I need any prior experience?
No. Every course starts from where you are and builds up step by step, in plain language.
Is this software training?
No — software changes yearly. The thinking you learn here lasts a career.
How does it work?
Short video lessons with a small practice task after each. Any device, your pace.
What does membership include?
One membership unlocks every course on RTF Academy — all 450+, nothing sold separately. And you stay in control: cancel anytime in one click, and you will never be charged again.
Ready to see your work change?
Your next project could be the one that feels truly yours.
- 5 Sections
- 25 Lessons
- 4 Hours
- 1. Understanding the Type5
- 2. Brief, Programme and Areas5
- 3. Planning and Circulation5
- 4. Codes, Comfort and Systems5
- 5. Getting It Built and Judged5
- 5.1Structure and materials for an auditorium
- 5.2Cost drivers and value-engineering traps
- 5.3Operations: how an auditorium works on day 3,000
- 5.4Case studies: Berliner Philharmonie by Hans Scharoun, Elbphilharmonie by Herzog and de Meuron with Yasuhisa Toyota and Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
- 5.5The design checklist for an auditorium
Reviews
Online and at your own pace.
Get access to all learning content
and every RTF Academy course with RTF Academy Pro
Auditorium acoustics and sightlines were things I hoped a consultant would fix later. Learning the geometry myself, from seating rake to reverberation basics, moved those decisions back into my own hands where they belong. My hall design now sounds as considered as it looks.
You might be interested in
-
0 Students
-
25 Lessons
-
0 Students
-
25 Lessons
-
0 Students
-
25 Lessons
-
0 Students
-
25 Lessons
Sign up to receive our latest updates
Explore Courses
Policy
- © 2026 RTF Academy | Rethinking The Future. All Rights Reserved
- Connect with us