Even if you have never engaged with the ins and outs of a building’s acoustics, you will, no doubt, have had many a meeting or passing conversation eased by Rockfon’s sound-absorbing solutions. They may have invisibly clad a ceiling above you in tile form or seamlessly formed the white walls that surrounded you. Rockfon – a part of Rockwool Group – specialises in banishing acoustic bounce with sound absorbing products made from organic stone wool. The products have been part of the fabric of our public spaces – offices, schools, restaurants and libraries – for more than 60 years.
You might not know it because a few things have conspired to keep soundproofing out of the picture. One was the belief that the mechanics of sound control should simply be heard and not seen, especially in recent times when industrial trimmings have been the only decorative element allowed to break the fashionably monochrome minimalism of an office interior. The other was that although its raison d’être is to ease human-centric design, it’s only now that we are fully acknowledging the importance of designing buildings for the health of their occupants.
Rockfon’s latest design products are stepping sound absorption out of obscurity and allowing it to become a visible, adaptable and functioning part of an interior. Aesthetic and well-being interior trends have conflated to pave the way for innovative new products from ‘art’ panels featuring colours or patterns of choice with Rockfon Canva; cocooned interior ‘islands’ with Rockfon Hub and ceiling hangings that can take on bespoke shapes, colours and arrangements with Rockfon Eclipse Customised to textural, organic sound absorbing panels with Rockfon Lamella and Rockfon Senses.
The new collection responds to the current need for interiors to offer comfort, homeliness and biophilia (the integration of the shades, textures, patterns and materials of nature), alongside adaptability, multi-functionality and sustainability. 'The result is a range of acoustic solutions, which have become an inspiration for modern design – not just a box to tick,' says managing director, Parik Chopra. 'Rockfon challenges you as designers to put both the wow and the wellness factor into your next interior.'
