Acoustic compensation measures for Bremen’s Museum of Modern Art

The Weserburg Museum of Modern Art is Bremen’s home for international contemporary art. The former coffee roastery houses an exhibition area of almost 5,000 square meters. These are also used for conferences, concerts and readings, among other things. Since the rooms were not primarily planned with the main focus on acoustics and therefore did not meet the necessary acoustic requirements for various room uses, we were commissioned to plan and implement acoustic compensation measures.

Acoustic measurement in Hans Otte. Klanghaus I Project Weserburg Museum of Modern Art

The aim was to equip both rooms acoustically in such a way that, in addition to the exhibitions, event formats such as openings, concerts and readings are also possible. At the same time, the acoustic measures should be designed and installed in such a way that they do not disturb the overall spatial impression.

Janneke de Vries I Weserburg Museum of Modern Art

Acoustic measurements show necessary acoustic compensation measures

In a first step, we acoustically measured the Hans Otte. Klanghaus in 2019. Based on the results, we then developed acoustic measures. The very long reverberation time of around 3.8 seconds in the existing building was reduced to around 1.35 seconds through the use of type A115 broadband absorbers. For the unusual positioning on the sloping solid ceiling, which must not be drilled, we developed and implemented a fastening variant with neodymium magnets in our workshop for this project.

Hans Otte. Klanghaus RT60 Calculation I Project Weserburg Museum of Modern Art

Eliminate acoustic limitations

The project room on the ground floor could not be used as desired due to the acoustic conditions. Speech intelligibility was perceived as poor, especially at events suitable for children, but also at speech contributions such as exhibition openings, seminars, celebrations, etc. Musical uses, which are usually amplified electro-acoustically, could only take place with significant restrictions or not at all.

Measurement in the project room I Project Weserburg Museum of Modern Art

Optimize reverberation times

The measured reverberation time of 3.2 seconds was more than three times the recommended 0.9 seconds. Therefore, this had to be significantly reduced. Here we used ceiling absorbers of type A115 MAX1, which blend in unobtrusively into the ceiling structure and reduce the reverberation time over a wide range as desired.

The acoustics in both rooms have been optimized through the efficient dovetailing of measurement, planning and production. We are very happy about the praise of our customer for this special project:

We and our visitors are overjoyed with our new rooms, which, thanks to your acoustic optimization measures, can finally be used flexibly! The Hans Otte. Klanghaus is increasingly being rented out because word of the interplay of spectacular architecture and good acoustics is getting around. And in the ground floor room we can now show an exhibition and do guided tours without the reverberation swallowing up everything that was said. And here, too, rental inquiries are increasing. This would be unthinkable without your work. So once again a huge thank you to you – also for the very pleasant cooperation over the duration of the entire project.

Janneke de Vries I Weserburg Museum of Modern Art

About the Weserburg Museum of Modern Art

The Weserburg Museum for Modern Art is Bremen’s home for international contemporary art. Alternating individual and thematic group exhibitions as well as a long-term presentation of the collection enable lively examinations of artistic creation from the 1960s to the present day. In 1989, the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen laid the cornerstone for the New Museum Weserburg Foundation, which opened in 1991 as Europe’s first collector’s museum. Since 2007 the house has operated under the name Weserburg Museum for Modern Art. Close partnerships with private and corporate collections form the basis for implementing an exciting approach to contemporary art in different formats and in addition to the collection’s own holdings.

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