Evaluation of the Acoustic Performance of the Şehitkamil Cultural Center

The acoustic performance of multi-purpose halls plays a critical role in ensuring both speech intelligibility and music quality. This study evaluates the acoustic conditions of the Şehitkamil Cultural Center (ŞKM), one of the largest cultural venues in Gaziantep, Türkiye. Field measurements were conducted in accordance with ISO 3382-1:2009, and a computer simulation model was developed using ODEON 13 Combined room acoustics software. The primary acoustic parameters investigated were early decay time (EDT), reverberation time (RT60), definition (D50), clarity (C80), speech transmission index (STI), and background noise (BN) levels. The results show that the hall has generally favorable reverberation, clarity, and definition characteristics for speech-oriented events; however, the practical speech intelligibility is limited mainly by elevated background noise levels. The measured overall BN level of 43.2 dBA exceeds the recommended range for theatre and performance spaces and is reflected in moderate STI values. The close agreement between the measured and simulated acoustic parameters confirms that the model can be used as a predictive tool for evaluating acoustic improvement scenarios. The study demonstrates that acoustic performance assessment in multi-purpose halls should not rely solely on conventional parameters such as RT60, C80, and D50, but should also consider background noise as a primary design criterion affecting speech intelligibility. Improvement recommendations include HVAC noise mitigation, enhanced isolation from adjacent and external noise sources, and the use of variable acoustic elements and diffusive surfaces to increase functional flexibility.