Acoustics of Worship Spaces: Forty years after Lubman and Wetherill volume

Acoustics of Worship Spaces was published in 1985 having David Lubman as senior editor. At that time, published studies on worship acoustics could be counted on hands and often were focussed on individual case studies. Conversely, the 1985 book proposed for the first time a systematic approach, where architectural and acoustical data were given for a number of spaces, allowing professionals and researchers to compare and evaluate performances, understanding the role of shape and materials, and always keeping an eye on practical issues. Forty years later, pondering the amount of research, publications and books that arose on the topic, we can clearly appreciate how inspiring that work was. Similarly, “The History of Western Civilization Told Through the Acoustics of its Worship Spaces” presented at ICA 2001, shedding a new light on the connection between architecture and sound, sparked more studies that extended to broader fields. A review of some of such studies is presented, selecting them according to their relevance, geographic span, targeted audience (professionals/researchers), and, most importantly, outlining their debit toward David Lubman’s work.