| Seattle's
Bell Street Pier is a beautiful but busy place.
The 14-acre mixed-use development includes a 1,900-foot
cruise ship terminal, an international conference
center, a maritime museum, restaurants and retail
space.
A public concourse links the ship terminal—Seattle's
first port for cruise ships bound for Alaska and
the Inland Passage— to shops and restaurants.
Expansive clerestory windows overlook the harbor,
while porcelain floors and concrete steps add
to the open, modern feel.
It's hard to imagine finding a bit of quiet relaxation
time in the midst of all this. But it's possible,
thanks to the SONEXpyramid Panels installed on
the concourse walls.
Acoustics were an early concern of designers working
on the pier, who knew the hard parallel surfaces
would create reverberation problems that would
render the area far from peaceful. "We knew
we needed to do something acoustically in the
space," says David Hewitt, president of Hewitt
Architects, designers of the Bell Street Pier.
"But we didn't want a plain vanilla solution
that simply controlled the acoustics. We wanted
something that fit the shape and strong angles
of the space. We were intrigued by SONEXpyramid
because of its unique look. It plays well with
the geometric design."
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