What passive materials did Medieval builders use to mitigate excessive reverberation in Gothic cathedrals?

Answer

Tapestries hung on walls or strategically placed wooden paneling

Gothic cathedrals, characterized by soaring stone ceilings and ribbed vaults, created immense echo chambers with reverberation times (RT60) often exceeding six seconds, which was beneficial for slow liturgical music like Gregorian chants but disastrous for sermon clarity. To counteract this natural buildup of sound energy, Medieval builders employed early, passive acoustic treatments. Hanging large tapestries on the stone walls or installing wooden paneling served as rudimentary methods to introduce sound absorption and diffusion into the massive spaces. These measures demonstrate an innate understanding of controlling sonic energy centuries before formal physics explained acoustic principles.

What passive materials did Medieval builders use to mitigate excessive reverberation in Gothic cathedrals?

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