24 THE WORLD OF HOSPITALITY
OSCAR ACOUSTICS
Ambience for all seasons
Oscar Acoustics ensures a soothing vibe at 10 Trinity Square , London
Ten Trinity Square , now a Four Seasons hotel and residence , was formerly the headquarters of the Port of London Authority . Designed by renowned architect Sir Edwin Cooper , and built-in the Beaux-Arts style , this impressive Grade II * -listed building is majestic of interwar architecture . Once a grand and proud feature of The City skyline , it had fallen on hard times and needed a six-year , multi-millionpound renovation to bring it back to life as a destination hotel .
A deep respect for London ’ s history and culture lay at the heart of this project , with the restoration aiming to restore and preserve as many surviving original features as possible .
Four Seasons is a brand synonymous with providing the ultimate guest experience , from design and ambience to cuisine and comfort . Aukett Swanke architects and Clarke Saunders Acoustics knew the importance of sound quality for creating a positive guest experience . However , when working on such a prestige project , aesthetics are always a top priority and any sound solutions would have to work around visual flourishes .
That ’ s why Oscar Acoustics , an expert in architectural acoustic finishes with an appreciation for great design , was tasked with ensuring multiple public areas of Ten Trinity Square possessed the correct acoustic balance .
Rotunda Lounge
Situated in the heart of the hotel is the Rotunda Lounge , which boasts a beautiful domed ceiling and is wrapped in an impressive plaster relief . This is a splendid space , a sumptuous oasis where guests want to relax . However , it is expansive and capped with a wide central dome , increasing the acoustic challenge . Sound reverberation times needed to be kept to a minimum , and getting the acoustic balance would be vital . As the hotel ’ s social hub , guests and visitors would need to be able to follow a conversation , yet enjoy the buzz and energy of being in the heart of London .
To solve the problem , ISO 14001 certified Oscar Acoustics used its exceptionally smooth Oscar Elite acoustic plaster , which gives optimal reverberation control . The acoustic finishing plaster was applied onto a mosaic of acoustic Sonaboard and then hand-sanded to give a flawless finish , achieving perfect shapes , not possible with most other systems .
Unlike traditional plaster , Oscar Elite is a synthetic , A2-s1 , d0 & Class 0 fire rated acoustic plaster . It absorbs sound energy instead of reflecting it , thereby reducing reverberation times and overall noise . This gives all-important clarity to speech and music , essential within the Rotunda Lounge , which has regular piano recitals . It ’ s also only 27mm thick in total , making it the thinnest ‘ acoustic plaster ’ currently available for its performance .
Managing Director at Clarke Saunders Acoustics , Ed Clarke commented on how incredible the live jazz sounded in the space . ‘ A bit of a first for me ; I have never had a musician in tears about how good the