Acoustic ambience and simulation of the bullring of Ronda (Spain)

Abstract

The bullring of Ronda, one of the oldest in Spain, declared in 1993 as an Asset of Cultural Interest, occupies a paramount place among the buildings of its type thanks to its outstanding beauty. Its configuration as an open-air enclosure with a circular floor plan, as an evocation of the ancient Roman amphitheaters, and its interior with galleries on two levels that house the audience play a fundamental role in the acoustic energy decay and diffusion of the space. The link between architecture and acoustics of the Ronda bullring has been carried out by using on-site measurements and simulation techniques. To this end, an acoustic model is created, which is adjusted by taking the set of 3D impulse responses recorded on-site. The presence of the public and the various sound sources that exist during the bullfight itself are analyzed in the simulations, whereby the conditions of occupation and vacancy are compared, as are the variations due to the location of the sources. Finally, speech intelligibility conditions are simulated with a human directivity source. The precision of the virtual acoustic model enables the sound architecture of this singular space to be ascertained and preserved, thereby incorporating sound as an associated intangible heritage.