{"id":2872,"date":"2017-06-07T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-07T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/architizer.wpengine.com\/basotect\/"},"modified":"2022-05-31T06:54:55","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T10:54:55","slug":"basotect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/stories\/basotect\/","title":{"rendered":"How an Art Installation Is Silencing New York City"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Big Apple is among the top 10 noisiest cities in the world and most certainly the loudest in North America. Finding moments of peace and quiet are hard to come by. But a new exhibition<\/a> at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum by artist Doug Wheeler offers a space of near silence.<\/p>\n

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PSAD Synthetic Desert III <\/i><\/p>\n

In \u201cPSAD Synthetic Desert III (1971),\u201d Wheeler has transformed a museum gallery into a semi-anechoic chamber designed to suppress all but the lowest levels of ambient sound. The room\u2019s lighting and configuration are also designed to induce an optical impression of infinite space. For the project, originally conceived in the 1960s and 70s, Wheeler was inspired by his own experience in the deserts of northern Arizona where near-silent conditions profoundly influence the visual sensation of distance.<\/p>\n

Revolutionary acoustic technology from New Jersey\u2013based chemical company, BASF Corp. was used in the installation. The Guggenheim\u2019s presentation features 400 pyramids and 600 wedges of Basotect<\/a>\u00ae,<\/u> BASF\u2019s flexible, open-cell melamine foam with high sound-absorption properties.<\/p>\n

\u201cSilence as we know it measures at 30 decibels,\u201d said Doyle Robertson, an expert on melamine foam for BASF, in a statement, \u201cand Wheeler\u2019s semi-anechoic chamber will measure in the range of ten to fifteen decibels \u2014 so quiet you might just be able to hear your own heartbeat.\u201d<\/p>\n

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WAVE acoustic modules made of Basotect\u00ae, Spah, D; photo courtesy BASF<\/i><\/p>\n

BASF Corp. is an affiliate of BASF SE in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Their products, including Basotect, are used for various applications in architectural, construction and industrial projects. Basotect is even used to quiet elevator cabs inside New York City skyscrapers, where it insulates the cabs from the noise of super-speed elevators that top out at 23 miles per hour.<\/p>\n

Basotect not only absorbs sound, it is naturally fire resistant, free of glass or mineral fibers, lightweight \u2014 it\u2019s 99 percent air by volume \u2014 and can be shaped into any desirable form. It can also be coated any color or wrapped in textiles. The material therefore can enrich the aesthetics of any architectural project whether it\u2019s an exhibition, sports arena, music venue or recording studio.<\/p>\n

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Colored conical absorber elements, Texaa, F; photo courtesy BASF<\/i><\/p>\n

Additionally, modern tastes and building design trends are leaning more toward open-floor plans, more glass for natural light and less material used on the interior. With more hard surfaces, sound waves are reflected and increase the overall noise level. Basotect\u2019s high sound absorption can lessen the impact of sound in these spaces.<\/p>\n

\u201cBasotect empowers and inspires architects, designers, sound engineers to create spaces that have proper acoustics that are aesthetically pleasing,\u201d said Robertson. \u201cIt\u2019s the ideal material for specification in both public and private spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n