Oxford University’s new Schwarzman Centre equips its two major performance spaces with d&b audiotechnik – integrated by Creative Technology.
Oxford University’s stunning new cultural campus, the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, offers cutting-edge artistic research, performance, and experimentation with the help of recent developments from d&b audiotechnik, including the compact, high-performance CCL system, and the latest addition to the d&b Soundscape ecosystem, Create.Control . . .
A 21st Century Cultural Gem
Opened in October 2025, the remarkable new Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre combines seven of Oxford University’s humanities faculties under the same roof. The striking building, designed by Hopkins Architects, includes the Bodleian Humanities Library, research, and lecture spaces, as well as world-class facilities for the development and performance of music and arts.
Its showpiece venue is the Sohmen Concert Hall, an orchestral space with acoustics finessed by Arup. Intended primarily for unamplified orchestral presentation, it is equipped – with d&b’s new CCL system – to host amplified performances when desired.
Other facilities include the 120-capacity Black Box Performance Lab. This flexible, experimental space, designed for research and experimentation with the latest multimedia performance technologies, features a versatile rigging grid and a flexible, immersive d&b Soundscape system.
Charcoalblue, the leading performance space consultancy, was employed back in 2019 to plan the technical infrastructure required by this ambitious new building. Paul Franklin and Dicky Burgess led the project.
Specific System Demands
When the time came to specify the tech, Charcoalblue was asked to consider sound systems for the Concert Hall and the Black Box – both with particular demands. With modern venues’ dependence on being multi-use, the Concert Hall’s unamplified, classical purity also had to allow for a compromise of sorts.
Burgess says, “Although the concert hall is designed primarily for non-amplified, orchestral concerts, they had to be ready to use it for other events that would need amplified sound. They needed a top-quality mobile solution – a PA that was deployable, not permanent, because architecturally, the room is beautiful.”
The Black Box, meanwhile, needed a playback system with enough processing and source flexibility to reproduce the ‘immersive’ mixes created in the centre’s Dolby Atmos-equipped music studios.
d&b audiotechnik was chosen as the brand that could deliver the solutions – not only for the quality of its products, but also its commitment to ongoing support and involvement with the facility. Then, Creative Technology was selected to supply and install the chosen solution.
Burgess recalls, “Because this was a Soundscape system, we asked d&b for recommendations, and they suggested several companies with the experience to deliver the solutions. Among all of those, CT’s tender stood out both for the level of support they would give to the project, and also for their impressive track record with Soundscape.”
Flexible Sound Solutions
After considering options for the Concert Hall’s mobile system, d&b’s new CCL (Compact Cardioid Line Array) was chosen as the main PA. Left and right, two mobile ground-stacks, each comprising two CCL-SUBs, two CCL12 and one CCL8, make up the main system. Additionally, 44S cabinets provide front-fill, Y7Ps cover the balcony, and a combination of E8 and E6 boxes covers the choir stalls. M6 monitor wedges and a B6-SUB (for drum-fill) are available for the stage, and D40s the chosen amplifiers.
“The size was one of the main reasons for choosing CCL, but also the cardioid technology,” says Burgess. “I’d had a good listen to it at ISE in Barcelona earlier in the year, and the amount of sound produced by those small cabinets is quite amazing.”
For the Black Box space, it became clear that d&b Soundscape would deliver the required flexibility. Three 360˚ ‘rings’ of d&b 8S loudspeakers are used – 16 on the lower ring, 16 on the middle, and another nine, plus two 21S-SUBs, in the ceiling.
The decision to go with Soundscape was aided by the imminent release of d&b’s brand-new software interface, Create.Control. A major step forward for d&b Soundscape, Create.Control’s intuitive visual interface offers extensive sound object and show control possibilities. Crucially for this application, it includes control of the Z-axis in the Soundscape environment – an essential requirement for Atmos playback.
James Frost, project engineer for Creative Technology, says of Create.Control, “Integrating it was simple – just boot up the software and it immediately picks up the network devices, the DS100, and that’s it – you're controlling audio objects straight away. Create.Control is a huge improvement in the d&b ecosystem, making Soundscape more approachable.”
Equipped for the future
The Schwarzman Centre signals a new phase for Oxford University’s cultural ambitions. Its new programme will draw creatives and thinkers from around the world to focus on experimentation and co-creation together with Oxford’s communities and academics. The result promises to enhance the development and presentation of artistic endeavours for generations to come.
Thanks to the expertise and attention of d&b audiotechnik and Creative Technology, as the university explores new possibilities for art and sound, it will have at its disposal one of the finest resources in Europe.
