“Cave-like curved rooms”…Why do they echo easily? And how to solve it without sacrificing the design?

In premium hotel design projects spaces don't just have the role of being “beautiful”, but must create “experiences”. Especially event spaces or multipurpose rooms which must accommodate speeches, performances, and various types of activities. But when the shape of the room is designed to be curved, the problems that follow areEcho and Resonance which make the sound inside the room “reverberant” and “unclear”.

This is the challenge of the project InterContinental Chiang Mai Mae Ping – The Mae Ping Room

The Origin of the Challenge: When "Cave-like" Design Becomes an Acoustic Challenge

The Mae Ping Room was designed to resemble a “turtle-back cave” with curves covering both the ceiling and the surrounding area. This type of design helps create a distinctive atmosphere, providing a sense of enclosure and unique character.

But in terms of acoustics,this continuous curved surface can cause:

• sound to reverberate within the room
• sound waves to converge at certain points (Resonance)
• an echo that disturbs actual use, making listening difficult and becoming unwanted noise.

especially when the area is used for exhibitions or activities.

The Challenge: Must be "curved, beautiful, quiet, and the ceiling must have a smooth surface" The design team required a material that could meet all these criteria:

• continuously accommodate the curved shape of the room

• have no seams to maintain the integrity of the design

• effectively absorb sound to reduce echo and resonance within the room

Additionally, the ceiling also had to work with other designs in the area, such as:

• alternating materials with gypsum ceiling

• painted patterns that reflect “Thai art”

which further limited the material selection.

Trandar solution: Seamless ceiling that supports both "art" and "sound"

Trandar proposed a solution: Trandar Seamless Acoustics Model Ultrafine (Smooth finish) which was specifically designed to meet the demands of complex architectural work.

Key Features of Trandar Seamless Ultrafine Ceiling in this Project

- Seamless Surface (Seamless Surface) allowing the ceiling to flow continuously along the curved shape of the room without being interrupted by panel joints,thus preserving the architectural integrity of the “curved cave” design.

- Supports Curved Applications (Curved Application) The system can genuinely form to the curves of the space, meeting the demands of complex 3D shapes.

- Sound Absorption while Maintaining Smoothness Even though the surface appears smooth, it has an internal structure that helps reduce sound reflections,reducing Echo and controlling Resonance, making the sound within the room clearer and more comfortable.

- Supports Design and Art The ceiling surface can work withpainting and artistic design, making the ceiling not just an “acoustic system” but “a part of the art in the space.”

Result: A Space that is both "Beautiful" and "Functional"

Once the Seamless Ultrafine system was installed, The Mae Ping Room achieved both:

• a continuous curved design that stands out like a work of architecture

• a smooth surface that accommodates Thai art

• sound quality suitable for actual use

Because good silence… might start from a surface you can't see ‘at work’.