Malmö Live

Beautiful Rockfon acoustic panels are at the heart of a cultural and commercial centre in Malmö that has been named Sweden’s ‘Building of the Year 2016’.

The prize was handed out during the annual ceremony in March 2016, which is organized by trade-publications Byggindustrin and Svensk Byggtjänst.

Opened in 2015, this “city within a city” consists of cubic structures in different sizes and it has a huge amount of floor space, the size of seven football pitches. A dynamic piece of architecture, Malmö Live offers numerous activities within its structure including a concert hall, a hotel, a café and a conference centre, with plenty of room to add new activities in the future. The ground floor is open to the public and citizens can walk through the complex, whether going to a concert, having coffee with friends, or simply taking a shortcut to neighbouring buildings.

Rockfon acoustic surfaces everywhere

The interior of the complex has been specially decked out with 19,000sqm of acoustic solutions from Rockfon, creating an optimal sound environment. This is especially visible in the cathedral-like lobby where the ceilings feature white and grey Rockfon panels, while the walls are lined with Rockfon® VertiQ® panels, all of which provide impeccable sound quality, humidity-resistance, and fire-safety standards.

“For a project like Malmö Live, it is crucial that our solutions ensure complete design freedom for architects,” says project manager Jörgen Elofsson from Rockfon. “The design can be adapted in the future: for example, joints are completely hidden and the colours of our panels match the rest of the interior perfectly.”

Senior partner Kristian Ahlmark from Malmö Live’s architecture firm, Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, comments: “We have managed to achieve excellent acoustics in the lobby so the room can be used for many different purposes simultaneously, without causing interference. It is a truly multi-functional space.