Pleasant acoustics give you peace to enjoy the art of new MUNCH
New MUNCH opened on October 22, 2021 in Bjørvika in Oslo. Here, the unique heritage of Edvard Munch creates strong art experiences for a wide and diverse audience and draws lines between past, present and future. An important part of the cultural experience is comfortable acoustics that give you peace to enjoy the art. The Munch Museum has taken this seriously.
The new home for Edvard Munch's art has opened. The world-famous artist Edvard Munch bequeathed all of the paintings, sketches, photographs and sculptures that he himself owned to Oslo Municipality. In 2008, the Oslo City Council decided that a new museum for Munch's art should be built in Bjørvika. They announced an architecture competition, and in 2009 Juan Herreros' proposal Lambda was named the winner.
Construction of the museum began in 2015, and on October 22, 2021, the museum - now known as MUNCH - finally opened its doors to the public.
MUNCH - a new signal building in Oslo
60 meters high, clad in recycled aluminum sheets and with a characteristic bend at the top, the building is clearly visible in the cityscape and recognizable from all sides. The building meets the strict requirements related to display, storage and conservation of art while it has a dynamic and transparent part with an open facade overlooking the city, where visitors can move between the exhibition rooms.
MUNCH is one of the world's largest museums dedicated to one artist. The building was designed by the Spanish architectural firm Estudio Herreros with LPO architects as a local partner.
The museum has a central location in the city, is adjacent to Oslo's largest public transport hub and within walking distance of many central functions. A large number of bicycle parking spaces have been arranged in the area. MUNCH is designed according to the FutureBuilt criterion of at least a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the current standard.
Exhibitions and events
With 13 floors and 11 galleries, MUNCH can offer different entrances to Munch's art and put him in dialogue with both other modernists and contemporary art. The permanent exhibitions are based on the works in MUNCH's collection, which really get the space they deserve.
MUNCH houses over 26,000 works by Edvard Munch, including 1183 paintings, and Scream is always on display. In addition to exhibitions, MUNCH will also present a content-rich event program that includes music, performance, film, conversation and club concepts.
Acoustics and sound are especially important for the art and culture experience
The acoustic solutions have been an important part of the design of the building. Rockfon delivered about 9000 m² with different types of acoustic ceilings that will ensure quality, aesthetics and an adapted sound level at the museum.
A museum does not only contain art and history. It is a place for different types of sounds, moods and emotions. Sound is an essential sense of how we perceive the world around us, and is thus significant of how we experience art and culture.
At the Munch Museum, there has been a desire for a low and calm noise level in all rooms. The acoustics are adapted with solutions that provide a low reverberation time, which prevents echoes and noise in the building. With visits by several thousand people, consisting of both school classes, tourists and people of all ages, the acoustic solutions help to absorb the sound. The wish has been that the guests at MUNCH will have a good art experience in quiet surroundings.
Rockfon's district manager, Steinar Nygård, emphasizes the acoustics of a building like MUNCH: - Good acoustics are incredibly important in a building like the Munch Museum, and they have taken that seriously. There will be an opportunity to have time to think and experience art in a special way. We have found acoustic solutions that maintain a sound-absorbing level even though many thousands of people gather in one place.
Nygård is excited about the opening of the new museum: - We would like to congratulate the Munch Museum on the opening. It has become a fantastic building with fantastic acoustics. We look forward to feedback from the audience.
Monolithic acoustic ceilings
In all rooms where the art is exhibited, it was important for the architects to install acoustic ceilings without visible profiles. The solution was to mount approximately 5000 m² with the acoustic design solution Rockfon Mono. Rockfon Mono Acoustic is a seamless plastered acoustic ceiling that integrates all technical installations behind an unbroken, smooth and monolithic surface.
- Rockfon Mono Acoustic is an extremely flexible material. Mono can be shaped and bent so that you can create exactly the signature expression you want to achieve without visible joints. The clean and smooth surfaces mean that walls and ceilings do not take the attention away from the art at the Munch Museum, says Steinar Nygård.
Colored ceilings with Color all Activity from Rockfon have been used in the review rooms, conservation, restaurant and halls. Here, the architects have been given the opportunity to put together colored ceilings for the desired design.
Installation of several thousand square meters with acoustic solutions
Isoteks, which is a certified Rockfon Mono Acoustic installer, has installed the several thousand square meters of Rockfon Mono on MUNCH. The ceiling system has very good sound properties, at the same time as it provides a surface that more and more architects demand, says Anders Flågen who is the general manager of Isoteks. Installation of Rockfon Mono Acoustic requires special expertise, and should therefore only be performed by certified installers.
In addition, Oslo Bygginnredning has been responsible for the installation of the remaining Rockfon ceilings at the museum.
