Last year the Belgian city of Zaventem celebrated its 900th anniversary and it marked this milestone by building Factorij (Factory), a new cultural centre, which opened to the public in April that year.
Belfius Real Estate and the City Hall of Zaventem were behind this ambitious project in the centre of the town and they wanted to create a building where all visitors would feel immediately welcome.
Local construction limitations, such as a maximum building height in this part of the city of 8m, plus the high acoustical demands led the architects Ebcta and Archiles to design a ‘box in a box’ space. The form of the space is a shell, which is partly located underground. This concept of construction was already focused on the well-being of the visitor and the ideal acoustical experience of the spectator.
The interior wall panels of Factorij’s concert hall were supplied by Print Acoustics, a division of Triplaco, and were Type Db for broadband frequency absorption. They were installed with the Print Acoustic’s Type PS panels for low frequency absorption to guarantee a high quality sound experience for the audience throughout the concert hall.
The panels have a black fire retardant MDF acoustic core with an American walnut veneer (supplied by Finaspan) and they are finished with an ultra-matt transparent lacquer.
The co-operation between builder, architects, contractor, acoustic engineer, installer and suppliers resulted in a total concept that “is a pleasure for ear and eye,” said the architects.
Print Acoustics specialises in the development, production and delivery of acoustic timber panels for wall, ceiling, furniture and other objects, integrating its solutions into some demanding interior applications. Its acoustic panels are available in a range of top layers in Abet Laminati HPL (536 colours in stock), veneer, lacquer, woven vinyl or digital print finish.
“We strive to develop and produce the most efficient, stable and decorative acoustical absorbing timber products based on the Helmholtz sound absorption principle,” said a company spokesperson.
“This is to reduce the disturbing reverberation inside a room, caused by the human voice. In this way, we contribute to an improved acoustical comfort and a healthier inner climate in public and private buildings,” he continued.
The company supplies an international market with a broad range of decorative and durable sound absorbing timber panels in standard sizes or made-to-measure for each room. These are all developed and tested in Print Acoustic’s factory in Belgium.
