The Challenge: When BERG Contemporary sought to enhance their grand piano room, their primary goal was to refine the space acoustically, specifically for piano performances. They aimed to achieve a well-rounded acoustic treatment that would elevate the performing experience, both for the artists and the audience. The challenge was to ‘tune the room’ in a way that would complement and enrich the natural sound of the piano.
The Solution: A small room dedicated to piano rehearsal and at times small audience performance requires two key acoustical design elements, diffusion and absorption. In this case, the two were integrated elegantly by the design team.
First, key areas for diffusion were identified and then paired with the best overall product for those areas that could be delivered in the desired finish.
- Omniffusor® units were chosen for the ceiling. A blend of 3 different depths; W76, W84 and W113 – all in a white lacquer finish. These units were installed shallowest to deepest from the center of the room down each angled ceiling to maintain a desired ceiling height at the center of the room and to ensure an even distribution of diffuse reflections to the performer and throughout the room.
- Modffractal™ units were installed at one elevation to provide lateral diffuse reflections, again to benefit both the performer and uniformity of reflections throughout the room. In this way the performer can choose to be nearer to or farther from the diffuse elevation, based on their preference.
Next, absorption needed to be added conservatively to control reverberation time throughout the mid frequencies without over deadening the space. The areas immediately surrounding the diffusers, both on the diffuse elevation and the ceiling, were treated with specialty absorption systems that could tie into the aesthetic design initiated by the diffusers.
- Custom, triangular shaped Perfecto® Micro panels surrounded the Modffractal™ units providing strong mid-frequency absorption, spaced and backed with insulation in such a way to limit the amount of both low and high frequency absorption.
- A hand troweled acoustical plaster system was installed at the ceiling to provide a clean, monolithic ceiling.
Custom Solutions and Impact: This project stands as a testament to RPG’s commitment to delivering customized, high-quality acoustic solutions that meet the unique needs of our clients. The Grand Piano Room at BERG Contemporary now offers an unparalleled acoustic environment that artists and audiences alike can enjoy.
