Humidification for concert halls and organs

Humidification & humidity control of Concert Halls & Organs

Large pipe organs in concert halls and churches need to have the humidity maintained within their organ chambers in order to preserve the dimensions of the wooden sound boards and sliders.

If the air in the organ chamber becomes dry then it will suck moisture from the surrounding wood causing it to suffer dimensional changes. This can cause the sliders to warp and stick, resulting in an unresponsive instrument. If the sound boards change shape then the air will not resonate correctly and the organ will become out of tune.

By maintaining 55% relative humidity (%RH) within the organ chamber the wood is in equilibrium with the air and it maintains its moisture content and shape.

This is often achieved with small capacity steam humidifiers that feed low levels of steam into an organ chamber either directly through a fan unit or via a steam pipe.

As well as the organ chamber, the main auditorium and stage area within a concert hall also require humidity control. The preservation of wooden furniture and flooring as well as the musicians’ instruments within the hall requires a level of around 50%RH.

The stage area also needs the humidity maintained in order to provide optimum conditions for the singer’s voice. If the atmosphere is too dry then the vocal performance will suffer as the singer’s nose and throat dry.

Benefits of Condair humidification in concert halls & organs include:

Extensive experience around the world with many concert hall projects
Comprehensive product range to precisely meet customers' requirements
Ability to provide innovative custom solutions for unusual applications
Low energy systems to reduce operating costs and improve humidity control
Low maintenance solutions to reduce on-going service requirements
Comprehensive service of expert advice, design, supply, installation, commissioning,

- Royal Albert Hall, UK

- Sydney Opera House, Australia

- Alexandra Palace, UK

- The Royal Opera House, UK

- Opera North's Howard Assembly Room

- Christ's Hospital school, UK