Unilever, London

The Problem

During our acoustic survey at the cafeteria at Unilever’s London office, it was easy to see why the room had a problem with high reverberation. Being a large busy space with floor-to-ceiling hard surfaces and an open kitchen, it was no surprise that cafeteria users were complaining of an uncomfortably clamorous atmosphere during busy periods.

The Solution

The cafeteria was in drastic need of sound absorptive surfaces to reduce the reverberant sound in the room. With very little wall space to apply an acoustic treatment, the solution comprised of a mixture of square and bespoke cut Ecophon solo panels across the entire ceiling.

The Result

The result was a substantial reduction in the reverberation time with cafeteria users noticing a marked improvement in the acoustic environment. Two shades of dark grey were chosen for the Akutex finish – creating a subtle but stylish effect on the previously plain ceiling. The very nature of hanging panels also means that services are left untouched – in this case lighting and sprinklers were unaffected by the introduction of the acoustic treatment.