In recent years, contemporary libraries have evolved into multi-purpose cultural centres, places of study, research and meeting. This evolution has brought with it new challenges, which require an integrated, acoustic comfort-oriented approach to create functional environments suitable for all ages and needs.
In this case study, we examine a library consisting of two main rooms: a reception and reading room measuring 369 m³ and a study and reading room for children measuring 143 m³.
Both contexts had significant acoustic critical issues: the reception and reading room area had excessive sound propagation with a reverberation time of 1.58 seconds, while the study room had an even more critical situation, with 2.08 seconds of reverberation.
Several customised Caruso Acoustic solutions were proposed to maximise acoustic comfort:
- 30 Dot sound-absorbing panels suspended from the ceiling in the reception and reading room area to reduce the reverberation time to 0.72 seconds (-3.39 dB).
- for the study room a combination of 9 suspended Kubo elements and 2 repositionable freestanding elements (alternatively Menhir or D-Space), to reduce the reverberation time to 0.91 seconds (-3.58 dB)
Reception and reading room:
Study room:
Repositionable elements make it easy to change the acoustic configuration to suit the various activities that might take place in the room. Thanks to the combined use of different sound-absorbing solutions, it was possible to create welcoming and functional spaces, where the silence necessary for concentration coexists harmoniously with the needs for interaction and collaboration typical of contemporary libraries.