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Noise reduction and effective lighting are now objectives that can be
achieved with a single product that combines controlled light flow and
sound-absorbing properties for the acoustic correction of spaces. More and
more companies are developing two-in-one solutions to meet the growing
demand for tools that improve environmental quality in office spaces.
“The theme of acoustic correction in offices, public spaces and restaurants
is often underestimated,” says the architect
Giovanni Giacobone
, senior
associate at Progetto CMR. “This realization leads to the idea of building
sound-absorbing properties into lighting fixtures. Lighting, seen as
fundamental and indispensable, thus offers an opportunity to contribute to
the acoustic efficiency of spaces. Sound-absorbing lighting system permit
reduction of costs with respect to the classic solution that calls for separate
installation of lighting fixtures and sound-absorbing panels. But the added
value of these sophisticated systems has to be properly communicated. In
the most highly evolved versions they require years of design research, to
make sure that the price factor – higher than classic lighting fixtures – does
not become a barrier to their use.”
The supply of these hybrid products covers a range of variations, with
solutions developed by lighting companies, but also by firms operating in the
field of acoustic furnishings. Another difference has to do with the context of
use: products with a more technical approach are ideal for offices and public
spaces, while more decorative items can be selected for the world of the
home and contract applications.
A response to specific needs
Contemporary architecture is increasingly prone to problems of
reverberation, due to the use of construction materials and furnishings
that reflect sound waves, and as a result of design choices that tend
to favor large shared spaces. A lamp that combines technical lighting
characteristics suited to the space along with good sound-absorbing
performance can become a single product that responds to two
fundamental needs, reducing background noise, which is otherwise the job
of suspended ceilings that can radically alter our perception of architectural
space. The fixtures function as an acoustic filter that retains part of the
pressure waves reflected on the surfaces and furnishings, reducing
reverberation and improving acoustic comfort.
The lighting products with sound-absorbing characteristics on the market
today are mainly designed for offices and public spaces. There are different
typologies: suspension, wall or floor. In some cases they are outfitted with
sound-absorbing panels that can be positioned vertically to form dividers
inside shared spaces.
The approach to the product varies according to whether the starting point
is the lighting fixture onto which sound-absorbing materials are applied, or
the sound-absorbing panel on which to insert lighting devices.
There are all kinds of forms, but their “core” is always made with proven
sound-absorbing materials, and with characteristics of durability and flame
resistance suitable of the office environment.
Polyester is the most commonly used polymer, both for filler and for external
fabric covers. Other products use felt from recycled PET, to cover sound-
absorbing foams. There are also panels in perforated mineral fiber with a
layer of polyurethane rubber, covered with fabric, or panels in thermoformed
polyester covered with laminate or micro-perforated wood.
The lighting component is usually made with LED sources, in the form
of built-in spotlights to create simple lighting effects, or inserted in
technical elements to achieve the right level of lighting comfort for given
working activities.
For the office environment, the solutions designed to be directly installed on
desks, for acoustic and lighting performance closely connected to the work
area, are of particular interest.
Product genesis
Various paths have led to the birth of sound-absorbing lamps. In many
cases the stimuli for the development of two-in-one solutions were the
critical situations encountered during the course of the design of offices or
public spaces. In other cases, the offering of advanced solutions with better
performance was a precise objective of the manufacturer.
Patrizia Vicenzi
, business leader of Luceplan, talks about the path that
led to the creation of the brand’s acoustic lamps: “The first such lamp
we created, Pétale, was designed by Odile Decq in the context of the
architectural design of a futuristic building where large open-plan areas
required careful study of acoustics. The architecture, with glass facades and
without solid dividers, did not permit the use of traditional sound-absorbing
devices. In collaboration with the designer, we customized a suspension
lamp, combining diffused lighting and acoustic comfort in a piece of great
formal simplicity but remarkable aesthetic impact, which was also extremely
functional. Silenzio, on the other hand, came from the experience of Monica
Armani in the creation of furnishing elements covered in fabrics, to warm
up and personalize interiors, making spaces feel softer and muffled.” The
architect Armani adds: “during the course of the restyling of an important
headquarters, with corridors over one kilometer in length, I decided to
introduce textile elements on the walls and hanging from the ceiling, to
create a ‘color map’ to connect the various offices. The resulting acoustic
comfort made the long corridor a pleasant place to spend time. This episode
helped me to understand the importance of working on objects that can
improve environmental comfort in life and work. Later, I thought about
combining this idea with light, with the aim of creating an iconic piece that
would blend innovation, functional quality and beauty.”
Patrizia Vicenzi concludes: “The success of Pétale and Silenzio in the world
of contract has led us to devote more energy and resources to research and
development for acoustic comfort, investing in new technologies and constantly
paying attention to parameters of perception as well as physical factors, without
ever losing sight of the dynamism and chromatic quality of light.”
In the Eggboard project, based on collaboration between Artemide and
the architect Giovanni Giacobone, the two combined functions were
immediately the goal of the research and development of a fixture for the
workplace. “In line with the history of the company, the starting point was
the pursuit of high quality of light – Giacobone explains. – We immediately
concentrated on low power LED sources with rotosymmetrical reflectors
Sound-absorbing lighting system
Two fundamental design factors – lighting and acoustic comfort – can now be addressed with
two-in-one solutions that combine good looks, high performance and optimization of costs
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