The Contemporary Art Center of Virginia Atrium Acoustics

Located in Virginia Beach, the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia is a non-profit institution founded in 1952 to foster awareness, exploration, and understanding of the significant art of our time. The Contemporary Art Center of Virginia is an award-winning facility that is dedicated to the presentation of contemporary art. Painting, sculpture, photography, glass, video, and other media from artists are explored through regularly changing exhibitions. The expansive 4,800 square-foot atrium features a vaulted ceiling with skylights and live trees and is the focal point of the museum complex. A flexible floor plan can accommodate an intimate event for 35, or an extravagant gala for 350 guests. The space is used for meetings, musical performances, weddings, and a variety of other events.

Acoustical Solutions’ primary goal was to reduce the RT60 (reverberation time) in the room to an acceptable level. This would allow the room to be used for both large and small gatherings. The second goal was to come up with the best material to fit in with the look of the ceiling without drawing unnecessary attention to the area. After discussing the acoustical problems with the director and the recommended application method with the fire marshal, Acoustical Solutions installed a series of large 4’x 8’x 2″ AlphaSorb® Fabric Wrapped Sound Baffles in the ceiling, directly below the sprinkler heads. Vertical hanging AlphaSorb® Sound Baffles were used to not block the sprinkler flow in case of emergency. They were hung using aircraft cable connected to the beams with beam clamps and threaded rod.