Indoor pool ceilings that improve acoustics and withstand high humidity conditions are critical to conquering today's many challenging design applications

Facilities built for sports, entertainment and event activities can create a sense of camaraderie, competition and fun. These high-traffic spaces not only want ceilings that attract a crowd, but also help manage the crowd’s volume, repeated use and essential safety.

Indoor pool ceilings present a unique combination of complex technical and aesthetic design challenges. 

Firstly, the ceiling system is suspended over water, so materials must stand up to moisture and chlorine without becoming flecked with mold and mildew while withstanding corrosion and rusting.

Secondly, the swimming pool ceiling design must reduce the noise and reverberating echoes of a cavernous open space with sound-reflective hard surfaces. 

Additionally, the indoor swimming pool ceiling materials should efficiently disperse light, and enhance the overall appearance of the pool room without requiring labor-intensive maintenance.

Certainly, the best ceilings for indoor pools also enhance the fundamental, natural water with environmentally responsible products and practices.

Our stone wool ceiling products have been tried and proven to meet all these criteria from innovative direct-mounted acoustic ceiling tile systems to suspended ceiling systems for swimming pools.

From sports arenas to hotel lobbies to movie theaters and music studios, acoustic performance is what sets great spaces apart from ordinary ones.

The acoustical challenges of recreation, entertainment, and hospitality facilities are made more difficult by the size of the building and the sheer number of people that use them. In these large spaces, audio systems must be clear and crisp. The soundtrack is a major part of the experience. The acoustics must be able to withstand extreme sound effects and tremendous bass while also facilitating large gatherings and creating a comfortable atmosphere that fosters communications between visitors and enables speech intelligibility. The acoustical design is an integral part of the building – be it in a stadium, theater, resort, casino or museum.

When sound waves hit hard surfaces found in a room, like walls, floors, and windows, the audible energy wave we call noise, reflects back in the room. This causes the overall noise level in the room to rise. Many large spaces and those with tall ceiling heights, face these challenges. Sound-absorbing ceiling panels, baffles, and clouds help manage acoustics to prevent noise from reverberating uncontrollably, taking the fun right out of it.

Appearance counts, but safety matters more.

In highly visible areas like hotel lobbies, suspended ceiling systems can provide a premium, high-profile look. The ceiling panels can create a monolithic smooth modern appearance, compliment a light airy design, or display colors that are on-brand.

Our white acoustic ceiling tiles reflect up to 86 percent of light for efficient and effective distribution throughout large hospitality centers. On the other side of the spectrum, our Rockfon® Cinema Black ceiling panels are the logical choice for movie theaters and add an extra touch of elegance to performance spaces. As a colorful alternative or bold accent, our Rockfon® Color-all™ stone wool panels come in a broad range of hues to match sports team logos and interior design palettes.

For added emphasis, our ceiling suspension systems can be finished with colors to complement or to contrast with colored ceiling tiles. An even wider selection of colors, metallics, and wood-look finish types are offered for our metal ceiling panels.

Combine color and shape for truly remarkable results. Not only can we help you with clouds and curves, we can help you create two-directional floating ribbons or custom-patterned open plenum ceiling systems. A popular option for casinos and hotels, the open cell format conveys an intimacy of lowered ceiling, while maintaining openness.

Trend-forward aesthetics can make or break a hospitality hotspot, but safety always should take priority. With the attractive appearance and high fire performance of our systems, you can have both.

The sound absorption seems to be working well. We don’t get a lot of reverberation in the pool area. Rockfon Sonar concealed panels were used above the spectator seating and mezzanine lobby area where lots of noise is generated. The panels provided proper noise absorption in these areas and an aesthetically pleasing smooth surface finish for the ceilings.

Lisa Potopsingh

Project manager, Bing Thom Architects

Durability and sustainability for the win

To keep the crowds coming back for more, the hospitality and leisure industry constantly is reinventing itself. By extension, it also must continuously upgrade and remodel its venues and spaces. Sustainable practices and building products are moving into the spotlight as a visible part of the improvements being made at hotel, entertainment and sporting facilities.

Representing nearly 500 sports teams, venues and partners, The Green Sports Alliance leverages the $485 billion industry and its cultural and market influence to promote healthy, sustainable communities where people live and play1

“Climate change threatens the sports industry’s very existence. It has never been more urgent for the industry to take action – and it’s doing just that,” stated Justin Zeulner, executive director of the Green Sports Alliance.2

He added, “Rapidly halting greenhouse gas emissions and achieving a carbon-neutral economy in the next few decades requires a fundamental change from all sectors of the business world, including sports. And few sectors cross cultural boundaries in the way that sports do.”3

Demonstrating its ongoing environmental leadership, The National Hockey League (NHL) Players Association Carbon Neutral Challenge started in 2007. NHL Green was launched in 2010 to address the effects of climate change and freshwater scarcity. And in 2014, the NHL was the first professional sports league to issue a sustainability report. Updated in 2018, its newest report celebrates many wins including a 2 percent year-over-year reduction in CO2 emissions through innovations and efficiencies.4

For the NHL and other forward-thinking hospitality venues, sustainable solutions include a combination of green power sources and more efficient energy use. Effectively dispersing both electric and natural light is one of the advantages of choosing our white stone wool ceiling products. The surface of our acoustic ceiling tiles reflects up to 86 light, which contributes to reduced energy use and associated CO2 emissions.

When a facility makes the move to LEDs and other more efficient equipment, our suspended ceiling systems not only accommodate and conceal these components but also offer easy access to the plenum when lighting, security, and audio-visual systems need to be updated. Our acoustic ceiling tiles are durable enough to withstand removal without showing wear and tear and require little to maintain their appearance. This longevity not only contributes to economic savings in time and materials but also helps reduce waste and lower the environmental footprint.

Sources

1-3. Green Sports Alliance

4. GreenSportBlog

01

Office

Meeting the challenges of the modern office.

Office ceiling tiles and systems contribute to good acoustics, sustainable designs and attractive interiors that help employees be effective and efficient.

02

Education

Building now, for the future

School ceiling tiles and suspended ceiling grid are the key components of a complete ceiling system that can help you create healthy, safe, beautiful and sustainable designs for universities, colleges, schools and other educational facilities.

03

Healthcare

Ceiling solutions for a safer way to heal

Healthcare ceiling tiles support cost-effective strategies to improve comfort and safety, while helping maintain caregiver and employee accuracy and productivity in hospitals, medical clinics, long-term care facilities, wellness centers and other healthcare spaces.

04

Retail

Ceiling solutions for a better shopping experience

Store ceiling designs assist in communicating the retail stores’ brand, as well as influencing the shoppers’ experience and buying behavior.

05

Leisure

Recreation, entertainment and hospitality ceiling design ideas

Leisure facilities are often high traffic spaces with many people coming through in a day. It places a high demand on acoustics, fire safety, durability and design aesthetic.

06

Industry

Ceiling solutions for production and industrial settings

Industrial ceiling tiles, such as those used in production facilities, warehouses, and distribution centers, are expected to meet a variety of requirements specific to each industry.

07

Transportation

Ceiling solutions for a better way to travel

Airport ceilings, railway station ceilings and other transportation hub ceilings can be decorative, functional and sustainable, which contributes to a better travel experience.

Explore our ceiling product range

Visit our case study library