LAUSR

Abstract Traditional Chinese performance buildings and performing arts are different from those in the west. However, sound quality evaluation factors for western halls have been used in traditional Chinese performance buildings for a long time. In this study, grounded theory was used to establish a sound quality evaluation system for traditional Chinese performance buildings. The subjective evaluation system for a traditional Chinese performance building was divided into the following six aspects: loudness dominant (loudness, definition, loudness balance, stage support (overall), and spaciousness); frequency dominant (brightness and fullness); reflected sound dominant (crispness, richness, harshness, and fusion); direction dominant (envelopment and directivity); quietness; and cultural cognition. The evaluation dimensions of western and traditional Chinese performance buildings were compared. In the Chinese evaluation system, the preference for loudness and brightness was higher than that in the western system. Moreover, crispness, harshness, and cultural cognition were not common in the western evaluation system, whereas envelopment and directivity were rarely mentioned in traditional Chinese evaluation system. Finally, the reasons for the differences between the two evaluation systems were analysed according to the architectural form, performance content, and culture. Envelopment, directivity, and quietness were found to be related to the differences in the architectural form and structure. The preference for brightness, crispness, and definition may be related to the form of performance. The ‘competitiveness’ and ‘renao’ (jollification) in traditional Chinese opera performances, as well as aesthetic pursuits had significant effects on the cultural differences.