Quiet rooms, green conscience: Sustainable acoustic solutions add atmosphere to stores

Sustainable acoustic solutions are becoming increasingly important in brick-and-mortar retail. Innovative companies are using natural materials such as seagrass, reindeer moss and mussel fibers to effectively reduce noise pollution and at the same time assume ecological responsibility. The first successful application examples in stores and restaurants show how well sustainability, aesthetics and functionality can be combined.

Quiet has become rare in the big city, and that includes brick-and-mortar retail and gastronomy. Booming music, clinking crockery, a babble of voices – anyone entering a café, restaurant or store these days quickly senses that good sound is precious. What's more, it is becoming a calling card. More and more people seem to be longing for places that promise not only visual but also acoustic comfort. At the same time, responsibility towards the environment and climate is giving rise to a question that is becoming increasingly urgent for the retail, catering and hotel sectors: How can pleasant acoustics be designed sustainably?

The answer is provided by a new generation of soundproofing solutions that focus on naturalness and resource conservation while combining aesthetics and well-being. Because as diverse as stationary retail is, the answers to the challenges of good room acoustics must be just as individual.

A pioneer of these sustainable acoustic solutions is the Danish company Søuld, which is reviving an almost forgotten cultural tradition from the 17th century: eelgrass (a special type of seagrass) from Denmark's coastal regions, which once served as a robust material for house roofs. Today, Søuld processes the eelgrass into modern acoustic panels – and thus hits the nerve of a time in which customers are looking for authenticity and naturalness.

In practice, the concept is already impressively convincing: for example, the world-famous Noma restaurant in Kyoto recently integrated Søuld's acoustic panels into its premises. In collaboration with the renowned design studio OEO and local Japanese artisans, a dining space was created that establishes a sensual connection to the surrounding nature. The panels not only offer remarkably pleasant acoustics, but also a subtle aesthetic that harmonizes with the restaurant's Japanese-Nordic cuisine. The subtle maritime accents with their light sea scent and warm, organic surface are reminiscent of the original origins of the ingredients used.

The newly opened IKEA building on Dybbølsbro in Copenhagen also relies on the sustainable qualities of Søuld. Here, the innovative gastronomy project Do More, a restaurant with a “Scandirabian” concept – a culinary fusion of Scandinavian and Arabic cuisine – was created on the green roof. Søuld's acoustic panels reliably reduce the background noise here and create a pleasantly quiet ambience. At the same time, the project highlights how sustainability goes beyond the product: any material waste generated during installation was consistently collected, sent back to Søuld and recycled there.

Another green innovation comes from Sweden: Nordgröna. The design company relies on a material that is as obvious as it is effective – naturally grown, preserved reindeer moss. Processed into fluffy, lively-looking panels, it absorbs sound, improves the indoor climate and also decorates entire walls.

Nordgröna recently presented its range in the renowned Chicago design showroom “Scandinavian Spaces”. Particularly innovative: the installation of a café in the middle of the showroom, which allows visitors to experience the acoustic benefits and tactile aesthetics of the material first-hand. Visitors can experience for themselves how effectively the moss regulates the noise level while enjoying a coffee and a pastry. The fact that the coffee is enjoyed in the traditional Swedish “fika” atmosphere charmingly rounds off the multi-sensory brand experience.

A third pioneer whose innovative strength lies in a seemingly inconspicuous resource is the British company Seastex. The idea is as astonishing as it is sustainable: the young company processes byssus – the fibers used by mussels to cling to rocks or ropes in the sea – into high-quality acoustic and insulation materials. These fibers are normally disposed of as waste; Seastex turns them into a material that, according to the company, is naturally flame-resistant, completely biodegradable and even CO₂-negative, in line with the upcycling concept.

Seastex offers a completely new solution, particularly for architecturally sophisticated rooms and stores where aesthetics are just as important as function. Still at the beginning of its market entry, the company impressively demonstrates how waste products from the food industry can be meaningfully upgraded and returned to the sustainable material cycle.

Whether it's Søuld's sensually aesthetic Eelgrass, Nordgröna's natural reindeer moss or Seastex's upcycled shell beards – these examples show that sustainable sound insulation can become the new standard for sophisticated retail spaces. Because where customers are increasingly consciously choosing which stores and restaurants they visit, it is details like these that can make all the difference: Spaces that combine a pleasant atmosphere, careful use of resources and aesthetic appeal create clear added value – both for people and for the environment. This development towards sustainable acoustic solutions ultimately reflects a new consumer culture in which a sense of responsibility and quality of experience are inextricably linked.