Madrid Congress Centre

Project: Madrid Congress Centre

Segment: Additional areas

Country/city: Spain, Madrid

Architect: INECO

Installer: Montajes El Khayati

Photographer: Andrea Moral Núñez

Project size: 200 m²

Balancing acoustics and design

At the Madrid Congress Centre, a venue used for international meetings and institutional events hosted by UN Tourism, an acoustic renovation was carried out to improve speech intelligibility and reduce excessive reverberation times. The domed space, with finishes that no longer met modern performance requirements, presented acoustic conditions that were not ideally suited to its intended use.

One of the project's main challenges was enhancing the acoustic performance while preserving the venue’s original architectural character. To achieve this, the design retained the concept of a “starry sky” ceiling created by point lighting fixtures, while incorporating more than 100 m² of acoustic islands and suspended baffles. The combination of horizontal and vertical elements made it possible to increase sound absorption without covering the entire dome or compromising the distinctive spatial perception of the room.

Flexibility in sizes and shapes was essential to adapt the solution to the existing lighting layout, while ensuring that the original lighting conditions remained unaffected.

The results were highly successful. Acoustic measurements taken before and after the intervention showed that reverberation times were reduced from approximately 2 seconds to around 1 second, significantly improving speech clarity and overall acoustic comfort. Users responded very positively to the transformation, highlighting both the effectiveness of the acoustic islands and the balance achieved between performance and design. The project fully met its objectives, creating a more comfortable and functional environment for communication and international events.