Restoring Bewley’s Historic Glory

The same, but different

After a €12 million restoration, the iconic Bewley's Grafton Street reopened in 2017. The stained glass windows, open fireplaces, and mahogany details enhance the classic charm of the cafe, but one subtle upgrade changed the entire dining experience – without compromising the historical character of the space.

Complementing historic glory with acoustic comfort

For Bewley's, this was not just a renovation – it was a careful curation. The restoration added new features to the cafe such as an open-view bakery that invites customers to watch as pastry chefs prepare delicacies. But like many other classic buildings, interiors with mosaic floors and wood panellings present an acoustic challenge.

Gillian Architects chose Rockfon Mono Acoustic ceilings, a solution that could blend seamlessly into the historic design while drastically improving the acoustic experience. The Class A sound absorption, A2 fire safety, and humidity resistancy of Rockfon Mono Acoustic made it the ideal choice for the cafe renovation.

"Rockfon Mono Acoustic allowed us to maintain the beauty of the ceiling covings while significantly improving the soundscape. The spray-applied finish gave us a seamless result that feels authetic", explained Brendan Duffy, project architect at Gilligan.

Behind the scenes, the flexibility of Rockfon Mono Acoustic facilitated the process for installers Reilly Ceiling & Drywall. Light fixtures and ventilation were integrated without distracting from the cafe's classic expression.

“The introduction of Rockfon acoustic ceilings throughout, direct fixed to the plasterboard ceilings minimised the visual impact on the building fabric, particularly the ceiling covings, allowing these to be expressed. In addition, the spray applied finish to the Rockfon panels provides a seamless acoustic ceiling in keeping with the original plasterboard ceilings and concealing the use of a modern acoustic treatment”, added Brendan Duffy.

Irwin Carr Consulting Senior Consultant Acoustician, Malachy McAlister, advised on improvements to the acoustics at Bewley’s. “We were able to determine the additional absorption provided by the new ceiling by undertaking acoustic tests before and after its installation. Our measurements show the acoustic ceiling reduced the reverberation time from 1.1 seconds to 0.7 seconds which represents a 35 percent reduction in sound reverberation”.