When designing rooms requiring superior acoustics, it’s important to be aware of the surfaces’ absorption characteristics. By taking appropriate measurements the progression of sound waves can be identified. Basically, anything that’s smooth and hard reflects strongly and therefore encourages annoying echoes or long reverberations. On the other hand, soft or porous surfaces absorb sound and can make the sound in the room seem muffled and lifeless. This applies to walls, ceilings and floors as well as to furniture.
Manufacturers are often required to ensure that, as far as possible, the chairs used are neutral in acoustic terms. The idea is that all moveable elements in the room should have as little effect as possible on the acoustics overall. The advantage is that the seating in multipurpose rooms minimises any changes in the acoustics.
Plush fabrics absorb a lot of sound. Smooth wood or plastic surfaces reflect it. However, open-pore, airy fabrics, such as those covering the backrest and seat of Wilkhahn’s Aline multipurpose chairs, behave in a neutral way where acoustics are concerned. These benefits have already made the chairs the number one choice in many multipurpose rooms where first-class acoustics are required. Examples are the concert hall in Uppsala in Sweden or the chamber music hall in Stavanger’s concert house. Aline chairs are in the rehearsal rooms in Oslo’s famous opera house.
Another advantage, especially in the case of the Aline skid-base chairs, is that in contrast to the four-leg chairs the glides make virtually no noise when the chairs are pulled across the floor. And last but not least, the elasticity of the design and the stretchy fabric covers ensure the chairs are exceptionally comfortable to sit on. So any music performances that last that bit longer can be enjoyed in comfort.
Information on the Aline range.
