Acoustics is today a vital element in the design of hotel spaces because it can significantly influence the experience experienced by guests. Built in the heart of the Lubéron around the former hunting lodge of the Marquis de Castellane in the 19th century, the interior spaces of Villa Castellane have recently been redesigned and transformed by Audrey Marasse and Didier Le Guen of ATELIER XY architecture firm. Their specifications consisted of renovating the existing spaces of this historic and contemporary 4-star hotel and creating new ones without distorting it, by providing more acoustic comfort and more volume. Several Rockfon acoustic solutions were selected for this project: Rockfon® Mono® Acoustic and Rockfon Color-all® Charcoal in X edge, installed by D-PRO ISOLATION in the lobby, bar, restaurant, spa and traffic areas.
For 18 months, Villa Castellane underwent major exterior work, with extensions designed by project architect Marc Paurel. But also inside with both aesthetic and acoustic solutions, on which the ATELIER XY firm worked. In the lobby, located in the initial bastide and first glimpse of the hotel's personality, a double height was created to insert a skylight and integrate an imposing chandelier giving a dimension of grandeur to the room. The Rockfon Mono Acoustic solution was chosen to provide volume and to optimize the acoustics of this passageway.
The design of this establishment was designed around elegance, well-being and the integration of noble materials (wood, brass, marble, etc.) throughout the design. Brass, the common thread of the project, is found in several spaces of the hotel: corridors, walls and decoration in the restaurant and spa.
Inside the hotel, guests are invited to follow the corridors painted black and contrasted with touches of brass to help create an intimate and warm space. To achieve this deep black appearance and cozy atmosphere, Rockfon Color-all Charcoal was installed in the corridors, restaurant and bar. Also, the edge mate.
The acoustic treatment in the restaurant and bar responds to a desire to reduce ambient noise to optimize the well-being of guests and hotel employees. “Acoustics are a crucial element to take into account in these spaces. Indeed, eating in a noisy environment can be extremely unpleasant and have a negative impact on the customer experience. In addition, the numerous glass and reverberant surfaces represented a major challenge that Rockfon Color-all allowed us to resolve, both in terms of aesthetic appearance and acoustic efficiency,” explains Audrey Marasse from ATELIER XY.
Rockfon Mono Acoustic also proved to be the perfect solution for the spa, particularly for its high performance in light reflection. Furthermore, its moisture resistance performance is perfectly suited to these humid locations. The choice of this Rockfon monolithic solution thus made it possible to reduce noise, provide more natural light and thus create an atmosphere conducive to the relaxation and well-being of customers.
“The spa was designed around well-being. Guests will feel as if they are enchanted by this calm and relaxing atmosphere. The choice of Mono Acoustic in the main room of the spa where the swimming pool is located was conclusive: the space offers beautiful volumes, natural light and very comfortable acoustics,” concludes the architect.
At the end of the work, several acoustic tests were carried out by Acoustique & Conseil. The results are clear, the acoustic treatment allows hotel guests to benefit from a perfectly calm and relaxing place.
“The best way to know that there are no acoustic problems in a place is when we don’t even ask ourselves about it. This is the case at Villa Castellane,” explain Laura Gohier and Etienne Bodelet of Acoustique & Conseil.
