Humidification of Concert Halls and Organ Chambers

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Benefits

Correct humidity preserves acoustics, protects wooden instruments and surfaces, and ensures stable sound quality for performers and audiences.

Protects instruments

Avoids the need for retuning and mitigates dimensional changes of wood.

Building preservation

Maintains the integrity of natural building materials like wood and textiles.

Vocal performance

Provides optimum conditions for singers and supports high quality performances.

Humidification of concert halls and organ chambers

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Humidification for concert halls and organs

Concert halls are frequently historic buildings with many natural materials, such as wood and fabric. If the air is too dry, moisture is drawn from these materials, resulting in structural deterioration that can be costly to remediate and may adversely affect the venue's acoustic performance.

Large pipe organs are highly susceptible to variations in humidity due to the numerous wooden components involved, such as wind chests, trackers, bellows and casework. Even minor dimensional changes can result in air leaks, sticking sliders and mechanical misalignments. These issues may cause tuning and pitch problems, component failures, disrupted performances and significant repair costs.

We supply humidification systems to many of the world’s leading music venues and pipe organs, including the Royal Albert Hall, the Sydney Opera House and the Elbphilharmonie. Yet it’s not only prestigious institutions that benefit - smaller venues such as church halls around the world also rely on our expertise with the same level of care and dedication.

Dehumidifiers for pipe organs, churches and music venues

High air humidity can not only impact the quality of a pipe organ’s performance but also damage its structure and shorten its lifetime. Wooden parts can swell in damp conditions causing misalignment of moving parts or “cipher” (continuous play). Leather components, such as bellows, gaskets and valve pouches can become soft and prone to mould growth overtime, weakening their durability.

In very high humidity, cold metal pipes can suffer condensation, which in turn leads to corrosion. Properly maintained, a pipe organ will last for many decades, but correct humidity control is essential to avoid costly restoration.

We support all types of music venue, church and concert hall to maintain the ideal conditions for organs and building interiors. Free expert advice is available for product selection, installation and service options.

Humidity enhances vocal performance

For singers, a dry environment can detrimentally impact a performance and even damage their health. If the mucous membranes in the throat dry out, singers may experience hoarseness or vocal fatigue. This is especially true under the added warmth of stage lighting in the dry winter months.

The ideal humidity for singers is between 40-60%RH with many experts recommending a tighter range of 45-55% RH. At this level vocal cords are kept lubricated and hydrated, allowing the singer to maintain clarity, range and control.

Use cases

Discover Condair in action

Projects and references

Allianz-Arena, Munich

The Allianz Arena was one of the most controversial construction projects, even prompting a public vote by Munich citizens. It has since become a central landmark in northern Munich and an architectural symbol of the city. Particularly striking is the translucent, diamond-shaped outer shell, which can glow in different colors.

Using projectors and asymmetrical parabolic mirrors developed specifically for the Allianz Arena, the diamonds can be illuminated in different colors depending on the club's colors. The stadium is around 50 meters high, 200 meters long, and can accommodate 66,000 spectators. Condair RS steam humidifiers ensure optimum humidity levels.

Allianz-Arena, Munich - Germany

Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg - Germany

In January 2017, the Elbphilharmonie (or Elbe Philharmonic Hall) was officially opened after about ten years of construction work. Its unique glass facade, which plays on visual associations with sails and ocean waves, has already established itself as a new landmark of the Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Inside the Elbphilharmonie™s main concert hall, specially-designed and individually-carved wall and ceiling elements provide incredibly precise sound diffusion and perfect acoustics.

The main hall has 2,100 seats in total, and each seat is individually supplied with fresh air. Condair DL hybrid humidifiers ensure comfort for visitors and optimal acoustic conditions for the orchestra.

Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg - Germany

Philharmonie Berlin

The Philharmonie Berlin uses the Condair DL hybrid humidifier to ensure precise, hygienic humidity control that supports acoustics, comfort and reliable hall performance.

Philharmonie, Berlin - Germany

Philharmonie Luxembourg

The Philharmonie Luxembourg uses the Condair DL hybrid humidifier to ensure precise, hygienic humidity control across its concert halls for optimal acoustics and comfort.

Philharmonie Luxembourg

Royal Albert Hall

The Royal Albert Hall is probably the best-known concert building in Great Britain. Aronud two million guests a year enjoy acoustic cultural delights ranging from rock to classical music. Condair steam humidifiers ensure a perfect humidity in the organ chamber so that wooden parts maintain their integrity and shape, and move over each other perfectly, as they were designed to do.

Royal Albert Hall

Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, Australia, identified as one of the 20th century's most distinctive buildings. Though its name suggests a single venue, the building comprises multiple performance venues which together are among the busiest of performing arts centres &ndash hosting well over 1,500 performances annually, attended by more than 1.2 million people.Condair evaporative and steam humidifiers are helping to maintain the ideal indoor environment, to preserve the integrity of the wooden interiors, the musical instruments, the vocal performance of the artists and the health of the public.

Opera House, Sydney - Australia

Festspielhaus Erl

The Erl Festival Theatre achieves a pleasant indoor humidity level through precise steam humidification. Its diamond-like architecture blends harmoniously into the surrounding Tyrolean mountain landscape.

Festspielhaus Erl, Austria

Musiktheater Linz

Musiktheater Linz uses the Condair DL hybrid humidifier to ensure precise and hygienic humidity control, which promotes acoustics, comfort, and material protection.

Music Theater, Linz - Austria

Christ's Hospital Organ

Condair has supplied a Condair CP3 steam humidifier to humidify the school hall organ at Christ's Hospital School near Horsham, ensuring it resonates correctly and remains in tune whatever the weather. Large pipe organs need to have the humidity maintained within their organ chambers in order to preserve the wooden sound boards and sliders. If the air in the organ chamber becomes dry then it will draw 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. By maintaining 55% relative humidity (%RH), the wood is in equilibrium with the air and it retains its moisture content and shape.

Christ's Hospital Organ, Christ's Hospital Organ, England

The Glasshouse (formerly Sage), UK

The Glasshouse International Centre for Music is a concert and event center in Gateshead, England, and home to the Royal Northern Sinfonia ensemble and the Academy of Music and Sound. It has three performance halls that seat 1,700, 400 and 200 people respectively.

Condair gas-fired steam humidifiers ensure the optimum atmosphere to preserve the wooden interior and musical instruments, as well as creating a healthy and comfortable room air humidity in the halls.

City Recital Hall, Angel Place

Located in the heart of the Sydney CBD, City Recital Hall produces, presents and hosts a rich and diverse program of concerts and events, embracing all genres and art forms from chamber orchestras to opera, contemporary ensembles to bands, talks and debates, to festival events. The venue was opened in 1999 and is the first specially designed concert venue to be built in the city since the Opera House in 1973. Condair supplied a Condair ME evaporative humidification system is providing the mainstage auditorium low energy, hygienic humidity control and also two Condair EL electrode steam humidifiers are used to provide humidity for performance stage and instruments.

Roskilde Cathedral

Mould and mildew no longer a problem Roskilde Cathedral chose Condair to supply a system to keep mould and mildew out. The problems with mould and mildew were occurring in the cold, unheated chapels and crypts. It would be almost impossible to install heating sources in the building to reduce the humidity level in the problematic areas. Three dehumidifiers were therefore installed as a trial. These gradually removed the excess humidity and then stabilised the level below 65%, which has been enough to keep mould and mildew away from the velvet covered coffins. The trial has been running for four years, and will continue for ongoing data collection. Roskilde Cathedral also has a data logging system installed in the building, which monitors that the air humidity is maintained under the critical limit all year round.Condair is very aware that churches are a sensitive building environment. It is important that excess humidity is always removed gradually under professional control and monitoring. Advantages &bull Correct dehumidification to avoid damage&bull Air humidity control to prevent mould and mildew&bull Reduced heating requirements System specifications &bull Dehumidifiers: Dehutech 320 (3)&bull Control: JA1000 with display&bull Data logging&bull Installed: 2010 "Our problems with mould and mildew in the coffin velvet in our chapels and crypts were solved." Ole HøjlundBuilding Manager, Roskilde Cathedral

Svenska Teatern

The Swedish Theatre (Swedish: Svenska Teatern) is a Swedish-language theatre in the center of Helsinki. It was the first national stage of Finland. It started as Engels Teater in 1827 and got its current facade in 1935 when it was renovated in by architects Eero Saarinen and Jarl Eklund, representing functionalism. In 2012, a renovation lasting a year and a half, worth 50 million euros, was carried out, in which the building was restored to its foundations. The work was done hand in hand with the Finnish Heritage Agency. Condair supplied EL electrode boiler steam humidifier for the ventilation of the theater. Humidification ensures a good working environment for the actors and maintains the integrity of wooden instruments, furnishings and the interior. Photos: Svenska Teatern

Quotes from our customers

Christ’s Hospital School, UK

Peter Dutton

School organist

Condair clearly had experience in working with such ancient and delicate organs and was quickly able to propose the most suitable model, as well as its positioning for installation.

It has made a real difference in keeping the humidification in the organ chamber stable and we are now able to play the organ whatever the weather is like outside; even during the cold, dry conditions of last winter.

Opera North, UK

Richard Ashton

General Manager

The orchestra spends over 20 hours a week rehearsing and performing here, so it was essential to provide a consistent level of humidity during the times when they use the space. After meeting with Condair, we felt confident that the company understood our specialised requirement, not just the level of humidity, but also the need for reliability, flexibility and cost effectiveness.

Since installing humidification, which we switch on as and when required, our musicians have felt much more at ease regarding the safety and performance of their instruments.

Steinway & Sons, UK

Craig Terry

Managing Director

Incredibly rare and expensive wood is used in some of our models – but actually any type of wood is susceptible to changes in environmental conditions. Dryness is the enemy of pianos so humidity is really important. We need 40% to 50% humidity all the time to protect the wood, whether they’re in the showroom or the workshop. Condair’s units are ideal for the job.

And because we rely so heavily on the reliability of the humidifiers, we also contracted with Condair to service the humidifiers at regular intervals. Would I recommend Condair? Oh yes, they’ve supplied great service.

Frequently asked questions

How does humidity control protect instruments and furniture in a concert hall?

What are the benefits of optimal humidity levels for musical instruments?

What type of humidification system is best for organs and concert halls?

Why is humidity control important for pipe organs?

Get free expert advice

If you want to explore your options for humidity control, Condair's expert sales engineers will visit your site, review your project and talk you through their recommendations.

Alternatively, if you would prefer a call or online meeting, our team are always happy to discuss possible solutions and offer free technical advice.

Talk to your local expert

Condair DL

The Condair DL is the next generation of the Condair Dual2—the successful system for adiabatic air humidification. Its hygienic credentials have proven successful in practice and were verified and certified by independent organisations with public responsibility.

Condair EL

The Condair EL is the latest generation of Condair’s well-known steam humidifiers. They are the first choice in applications requiring reliable steam humidification with no hassle.

Condair DA

Condair DA desiccant dryers are designed for applications requiring extremely low humidity, such as in sensitive industrial manufacturing processes, and for environments with very low temperatures or where precise moisture control is essential.