Noted acoustician Cyril Harris worked with architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien to create the Institute’s 352-seat auditorium, which is generally considered to be one of the most acoustically ideal small performance halls in the nation. The auditorium has an original system of angular, sound dispersing panels covering its walls and ceiling. A pyramidal design diffuses sound to create a uniform acoustical environment. Artists and audiences agree that the same sound is heard in every seat. The hall is used for scientific gatherings and is also the home of the “Performing Arts at The Neurosciences Institute” program. This program, in which the hall is provided without charge to many local arts and educational organizations, represents a service to the community that is designed both to encourage and support the performing arts and to underscore the special relationship between the arts and the human brain.