For projects in Paris
Cinema and multiplex soundproofing in Paris
Screens stacked beside and above each other, each running full range at high level. Bleed between auditoria is the failure everyone hears, and it is decided by the shell, not the finishes. Churches, salles des fetes and civic auditoriums are stone and plaster volumes with very long decay.
- Screen to screen
- Independent construction between auditoria, with services broken at the line.
- In room response
- Heavy absorption on side and rear walls so the mix is heard as intended.
- Plant and projection
- Equipment noise into the auditorium, treated at source.
- Quote
- From a plan and a section, within 48 hours
01 / What it is
The material, and what it actually does on a Paris job
Screens stacked beside and above each other, each running full range at high level. Bleed between auditoria is the failure everyone hears, and it is decided by the shell, not the finishes.
Churches, salles des fetes and civic auditoriums are stone and plaster volumes with very long decay.
Work reaching us from Paris is mostly haussmann apartments, offices, studios, restaurants, hotels, clinics.
- Parquet over timber joists Footfall and chair scrape travel straight down. A resilient layer under the finish does more than anything applied to the ceiling below.
- Thin partitions in divided apartments Walls built to split one flat into two were never designed to hold speech. Mass and an independent lining are the honest answer.
- Courtyards that amplify A Paris courtyard reflects plant noise and voices between every window on the block. Treat the source or the surface, not the middle.
- Screen to screen Independent construction between auditoria, with services broken at the line.
Full specification
Thickness, density, NRC by frequency, fire class, standard sizes and build-up detail for cinema soundproofing are on the main product page. This page covers what that means for a project in Paris.
02 / The build-up
What goes where, from the structure in
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Layer 1
Soundproofing materials
The blocking side of the range taken together: mass loaded vinyl, resilient layers, cavity absorption and the build-ups they belong in. In Paris, mechanical extract ventilation is near universal, and the extract path carries sound between flats as reliably as the wall.
Resilient bar. Where a full independent leaf will not fit. Effective, and very easy to short circuit with one wrong screw.
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Layer 2
Acoustic carpet and rugs
A tile carpet with a dense polyester face on a felt backing. In Paris, churches, salles des fetes and civic auditoriums are stone and plaster volumes with very long decay.
Loose lay on tackifier. Tiles lifted individually for access under a raised floor, which is why tile beats broadloom in an office.
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Layer 3
PET felt acoustic panels
A rigid non-woven panel pressed from 100% polyester fibre, a large part of it recycled. In Paris, school buildings are hard surfaced with high ceilings, and canteens are consistently the loudest rooms.
Over a porous backing. Panel over mineral or PET backing where the room needs genuine low mid control.
We would rather argue about the build-up at design stage than on site. See how we support architects.
03 / Local conditions
What decides the build-up in Paris
- Parquet over timber joists
Footfall and chair scrape travel straight down. A resilient layer under the finish does more than anything applied to the ceiling below.
- Thin partitions in divided apartments
Walls built to split one flat into two were never designed to hold speech. Mass and an independent lining are the honest answer.
- Courtyards that amplify
A Paris courtyard reflects plant noise and voices between every window on the block. Treat the source or the surface, not the middle.
- Small rooms
Depth is expensive when a room is 12 square metres. Slim, dense layers beat thick absorbers you cannot afford to lose space to.
- Assembly and performance rooms
Churches, salles des fetes and civic auditoriums are stone and plaster volumes with very long decay.
04 / Room by room
Where the money goes on a Paris project
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Screen to screen
Independent construction between auditoria, with services broken at the line. Footfall and chair scrape travel straight down. A resilient layer under the finish does more than anything applied to the ceiling below.
- Soundproofing materials, 2100 kg per cubic metre. 2.5 mm STC 30 at 5.25 kg per sq m, 4 mm STC 34 at 8.4, 6 mm at 12.6
- Acoustic carpet and rugs, 4 mm
- PET felt acoustic panels, 4 to 24 mm
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In room response
Heavy absorption on side and rear walls so the mix is heard as intended. Walls built to split one flat into two were never designed to hold speech. Mass and an independent lining are the honest answer.
- Soundproofing materials, 1800 x 900 x 20 mm, 100 kg per cubic metre, NRC 0.85
- Acoustic carpet and rugs, High density polyester
- PET felt acoustic panels, 1220 x 2440 mm standard, 4 x 8 ft
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Plant and projection
Equipment noise into the auditorium, treated at source. A Paris courtyard reflects plant noise and voices between every window on the block. Treat the source or the surface, not the middle.
- Soundproofing materials, Mass, then decoupling, then cavity absorption, then sealing
- Acoustic carpet and rugs, Felt
- PET felt acoustic panels, 2440 x 4270 mm, 2.44 x 4.27 m, 8 x 14 ft
If the visual is fixed and the room still has to perform, that is a solvable problem and a conversation worth having early. See how we work with interior designers.
04 / Climate
Why the climate in Paris changes the material, not the target
Paris is cool and damp, with long heating seasons and cold external walls, and that narrows the material list before acoustics is discussed.
Cold wall build-ups and long heating seasons mean interstitial condensation is a real risk behind any lining. PET felt is unaffected by damp air and will not feed mould where a fabric-faced mineral product would.
The failure we design against here is condensation behind linings in older, poorly insulated stock.
On a Paris job with a consultant involved, our part is material that matches the submitted data. See working with acoustic consultants.
06 / Before you buy
What we watch go wrong on jobs like this
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A shared service void running across the wall line
The ceiling is almost always the largest untreated surface, so leaving it out means paying for panels that cannot reach the target.
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Treating the auditorium to fix bleed from the next screen
This is the one that comes back as a second fit-out rather than a snag.
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Doors and lobbies specified late and undersized
A gap undoes the partition it sits in. Sealing is the cheapest line on the quote and the first one to get cut.
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Treating it as a generic Paris job
Footfall and chair scrape travel straight down. A resilient layer under the finish does more than anything applied to the ceiling below.
05 / Route to site
What the route into Paris actually looks like
| Ships from | Palwal, Haryana, India |
|---|---|
| Arrives at | Le Havre, Antwerp or Rotterdam |
| Dispatch | 4 to 7 working days |
| Freight | Sea via Le Havre |
| Support | Drawings, build-ups, BOQ and material that arrives complete |
Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. Grooved and custom colours take longer, and we say so before the order, not after.
Sea freight into Le Havre, Antwerp or Rotterdam, then road to site. Air freight for samples and urgent quantities.
Questions from Paris projects
What makes cinema and multiplex soundproofing different in Paris?
Churches, salles des fetes and civic auditoriums are stone and plaster volumes with very long decay. Footfall and chair scrape travel straight down. A resilient layer under the finish does more than anything applied to the ceiling below.
Where should the budget go first on a Paris project?
Screen to screen. Independent construction between auditoria, with services broken at the line. In room response. Heavy absorption on side and rear walls so the mix is heard as intended.
Do you have an office or installation team in Paris?
No. We manufacture in India and supply into Paris. We give you drawings, build-ups, a BOQ and material that arrives complete, and we will tell you plainly when a job needs a local contractor we cannot be.
How does material get to a Paris site?
ships from: Palwal, Haryana, India, arrives at: Le Havre, Antwerp or Rotterdam, dispatch: 4 to 7 working days. Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. Grooved and custom colours take longer, and we say so before the order, not after.
What goes wrong most often on this kind of project?
A shared service void running across the wall line. Treating the auditorium to fix bleed from the next screen.
What do you need from us to quote?
A plan, a section through the critical partition or ceiling, and what the room is for. From that we can give a build-up and a BOQ rather than a price per square foot.
Next step
Drawings in, BOQ and a delivered date out
Send what you have. We will give you a layer by layer build-up, a bill of quantities and a date material lands, and we will flag anything in the brief that will not achieve what you want.