Dornbirn media house

Pioneering design for the Vorarlberg media house – Installation of concealed sound insulation.

The company philosophy of the Vorarlberger news agency in Schwarzach provides for a transition from stationary to mobile workplaces in future. Consequently, the editors at the company headquarters must be able to use all rooms in parallel; laptops and mobile phones are indispensable for this purpose. Architect Ernst Giselbrecht from Graz selected an appropriately technical architectural style: A cool composition of glass, steel, aluminum and stone.
Openness fostering a sense of community is the theme which runs through the entire building. This permits, for instance, even a view of the newspaper printing press from the entrance hall via a glass wall. An open, three-floor staircase allows direct contact between employees from the various parts of the enterprise.

Changing requirements
The entrance hall and its stairway are characterized by a large glass facade, floor covering made of polished granite and 11-m high, slim metal props bearing the single-flight stairs. The hall is used, among other things, for festivities with up to 500 participants, in which case the neighboring lecture room is also utilized. To achieve appropriately sophisticated room acoustics, 120 cylindrical absorbers each 1.25 m long have been installed on the ceiling of the 2nd floor in the air space above the stairway. Their casings made of galvanized, polished, perforated sheet metal reflect the technical style of the remaining environment. The micro-perforations texturing the surface enhance the sound absorption properties.

System features and finishing
The metal casings are furnished on the inside with the pinta absorber RONDO. These light, fine and movable foam cylinders based on melamine resin are characterized by excellent sound absorption values over a large frequency range, achieving optimal noise reduction. The material is free of fibers, halogens and CFCs. It is resistant to very high temperatures and compliant with building material class B1 (flame-retardant) according to DIN 4102. Easy processing and lightweight material allow low-cost installation. The pinta RONDO absorber's low weight is balanced by the 1.5-mm thick perforated-metal casings, so that the acoustic elements hang serenely from the ceiling at intervals of about 10 cm. Made by experienced pinta processor Alfred Pernikl, Dornbirn, the tubes comprise galvanized metal which matches the building's style. A declared objective of pinta consultant Walter Strommer and processor Alfred Pernikl is to fulfill the special wishes of planners and architects – a task accomplished superbly in this project.

Project data

• Planning and construction supervision: Architect DI Ernst Giselbrecht, Graz
• Sound insulation system in the stairway: pinta absorber RONDO
• Acoustic system in the offices: Expanded-metal elements with pinta FM acoustic inlay