Whenever James Wong enters a room at the International Christian Quality Music School, in Diamond Hill, he claps his hands. As acoustic consultant, he's testing the complex's sound quality.
'Just hear the reverberation,' says Wong, after his loud clap resounds in the small design and technology workshop. 'This hall only measures 22 metres by 11 metres, but the acoustics make you feel as if you're in a church.'
The workshop could, indeed, double as a performing venue for choral works, especially the masterpieces composed during the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Its ceiling has an undulating surface. 'It scatters the sound and prevents too much echo, while allowing for a long reverberation time,' he says.
The workshop is the second- largest performing venue in the school, after the 782-seat Symphony Hall, which opened last month. The new school - for primary and secondary students - puts strong emphasis on music.
'Music education in Hong Kong starts at the university level,' says principal Chan Wing-sang. 'But talents need to be cultivated from childhood. Our vision is to fill train students from a young age in performance, composition, choral singing and music appreciation.'
All of which comes at a cost. 'The school is private and independent,' says Chan. 'This means the government provides the land and subsidises the $170 million construction. Otherwise, the school is left on its own financially.'
Although the construction budget was tight, architect Joseph Ho says a lot of effort was put into ensuring that the acoustic quality of the two halls and the 40 music practice rooms was as high as possible.