Virtual acoustics of the Cathedral of Malaga (Spain)

Abstract

The Catholic Cathedral of Malaga (southern Spain), located in the historical centre, is the most emblematic building of the city. Its construction began in 1528 and was completed in 1782, suffering several interruptions and modifications at the hands of various architects, and hence various architectural styles are superimposed: the interior is Renaissance and the façade is predominantly Baroque. Rectangular in shape, it has three naves of the same height, with the central nave being the widest. In this work, a 3D model of this ecclesiastical space is created in order to carry out an acoustic simulation of its sound field by using the simulation algorithms of CATT Acoustic software implemented in the new TUCT calculation motor (The Universal Cone Tracer). The virtual model created is calibrated through an iterative process of adjustment of reverberation times simulated in such a way that they differ by no more than 5% from those measured. These measured values were obtained from the impulse responses monitored in situ. Likewise, a comparison of the experimental and simulated results of other acoustic parameters in terms of their just noticeable differences (JND) was also carried out, which supports the reliability of the computational acoustic model implemented. This work is the starting point of a multidisciplinary project which aims to incorporate the acoustic aspects within the heritage value of Andalusian cathedrals