Master acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota worked with musicians in November 2011 to test the acoustics of the Gardner Museum's new Calderwood Performance Hall.

Staging filled the concert hall during construction.

Construction work on the skylight of the concert hall in April 2011.

There are three levels of balconies, each featuring only a single row of seats.

Musicians practice in the new concert hall, where there is no stage. Musicians play with seats surrounding them on all sides.

A balcony in the new concert hall.

The undersides of the balconies have an egg-crate design to aid acoustics.

To improve acoustics, the oak-paneled walls have been laser cut with small notches.

Isabella Stewart Gardner originally constructed her museum with a two-story Music Room, seen here around 1903. In 1914, the Music Room was demolished to create space for additional galleries, including the Tapestry Room, where concerts continued.

The Tapestry Room in 1926.

The Borromeo String Quartet played in the Tapestry Room at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 2007.

The Tapestry Room has been restored to something close to its original state.