Articles
Project Highlight: World Financial Center, Brookfield Place
November 11, 2019
How BASWA Phon acoustical plaster solved a one-of-a-kind installation challenge inside one of Manhattan's busiest public pavilions.
The Brookfield Place Entry Pavilion at the World Financial Center is not a forgiving space for acoustic design. The glass-enclosed structure spans 8,000 square feet, is supported by two 55-foot tall exposed steel lattice towers, and serves more than 100,000 pedestrians every day. When the pavilion was transformed as part of a major revamp of the former World Financial Center buildings, the design team needed a ceiling solution that could perform acoustically at scale while holding its own visually in one of New York City's most prominent commercial interiors.
BASWA Phon 40mm Frosted Finish was selected for the 6,000 square foot ceiling installation. What made this project particularly demanding was the relationship between the acoustic plaster and the building's signature exposed steel structure. Each steel beam passes through the BASWA Phon ceiling at its own unique angle, requiring a custom elliptical reveal at every intersection point. The finished ceiling reads as seamless and monolithic while accommodating the complexity of the structure behind it.
The technical precision required to pull that off, and what the completed space looks and sounds like, is documented in full on the portfolio page.
The BASWA Team
The BASWA Team is the editorial voice of BASWA acoustic North America, a group of acoustical plaster experts and technical support professionals sharing accurate, well-cited insights on sound, well-being, and the built environment. We're here to make acoustics approachable and actionable for architects, contractors, and homeowners.
