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Bell Street Pier Retail Atrium Acoustics
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The Issue
Seattle’s Bell Street Pier is a beautiful and 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. Unfortunately, due to its hard reflective surfaces, excessive noise was an issue.
The Challenge
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, though, due to the excessive noise levels that would build as sound would bounce off of the many hard and reflective surfaces.
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Bell Street Pier - Mixed use retail atrium area using Class A fire-rated Sonex® Pyramid Acoustic Foam by Pinta Acoustic, Inc.
The Solution
But it’s possible to quiet such spaces, thanks to the Sonex® Pyramid Acoustic Foam installed on the concourse walls. The deeply sculpted surface of Sonex® Pyramid Acoustic Foam maximizes the effective area of acoustic control. The melamine charcoal-colored wall panels are also rated Class 1 for flame spread and smoke density. 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.”
In the Customer’s Own Words
“We were intrigued by Sonex® Pyramid because of its unique look. It plays well with the geometric design.” — David Hewitt, President, Hewitt Architects
To learn more about how Acoustical Solutions can solve your noise control problems, use our contact form, call one of our Acoustical Sales Consultants at (800) 782-5742, or visit us on the web at acousticalsolutions.com.
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