Sound Treatment Panels — Construction & Installation
Set of thirty custom-designed sound absorption panels built for Torna Small, installed in the gallery following a quality control check for each individual panel.
Built from local materials, Isolating Sound Agency utilised Şile fabric to seal each individual panel. Naturally porous, yet resistant enough to withstand being stretched, the locally-produced 100% cotton cloth presented itself as the ideal material with which to seal the sound absorption blocks. The traditional production process involves submerging the cloth in the Black Sea, allowing it ample time to circulate within the salt water. Only once it has been sufficiently soaked is it left to dry on the sand or rocks in natural light. This treatment makes the fabric resistant to the elements, thereby increasing its longevity.
Due to severe skin rashes suffered by several bathers in the Black Sea during August 2024, ISA and Torna agreed to treat the remaining pieces in a saltwater swimming pool, ensuring the fabric underwent the necessary strengthening process.
Prior to the installation, ISA mounted a condenser microphone outside the gallery which was used to measure the building’s external noise levels before and after the installation. The following two samples, recorded from the same position without any manipulation of the input levels, demonstrate the perceptible reduction in noise of the lathe machines as experienced outside of the company’s premises. Further details and audio reports will be published in the coming months.
Torna Small Exterior Recording During Lathe Operations With and Without Sound Absorption Panels.
Isolating Movements, Measuring Atmospheres