Segerstrom Hall - a truly multipurpose hall to seat 3000 - was constrained by the necessity that sightlines must be excellent from every seat and that is only achievable on such a scale in a fan-shaped hall. Broad fans are notoriously bad for the symphony because they lack adequate lateral reflected sound in a majority of seats.

Harold Marshall's innovation was to divide the orchestra level seating obliquely to provide lateral reflecting surfaces within the space with comparable surfaces for each of the upper levels. The result was a striking asymmetrical space entirely without precedent. It was modelled in New Zealand at a scale of 1:10 and tested at some 25 seat locations in all its modes - symphony, musical theatre, chamber music and opera.  Minor refinements resulted. The hall opened to critical acclaim.