Acoustic Curtains, Vienna 1010

Photos: Thomas Freiler

The lecture room for the Architecture School at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna is used for many purposes throughout the year: daily lectures, architecture reviews, faculty meetings, seminars, public lectures, temporary works spaces, workshops, hearings, application interviews, parties, and even yoga. The acoustic problem was the biggest problem to solve but also spatial flexibility was needed. The actual generosity of the room was never used to its full potential; the speakers voice was lost in the hardness and height of the space, comfort was lost in its bulky volume, and only one conversation could be had at a time, greatly limiting its use.

We thought the room needed something soft and flexible and appropriate for a school of architecture. By installing seven meter high felt, pleated, curtains suspended from the ceiling, on a serpentine track, we were able to create different situations of the space and use. We also wanted to bring color, softness and movement into the room, to create a more joyful atmosphere. A second curtain called a laser-tull, a transparent mesh screen used in theaters, creates a feeling of movement and lightness. The curtain is also cable of reflecting a film projections which the architecture students experiment with for their review presentations.