CAFE LUZIA

About the Project
Café Luzia at Oranienstraße 34 in Berlin-Kreuzberg has been an important place for nightlife, music and hospitality for many years. The combination of café, bar and club is a defining part of the venue and makes it a well-established part of Berlin’s nightlife scene.

Initial Situation
The building presented Café Luzia with challenges in terms of soundproofing, room acoustics and ventilation. The existing ventilation system was outdated and no longer sufficient. At the same time, the long reverberation time of around 1.2 seconds meant that the sound system had to be turned up louder to keep speech and music clear and easy to understand. When the windows were open, sound could also reach the outdoor area.
The aim of the project was therefore to improve the room acoustics and sound system while also installing a modern ventilation and air-conditioning system. This was intended to make the venue’s operation more sustainable and reduce the impact of sound on the surrounding neighborhood.

Measures

1. New Room Acoustics and Ceiling Absorbers
A total of 115 m² of custom-made ceiling absorbers were installed. The multilayer acoustic elements were integrated into the existing ceiling design and improve the distribution of sound throughout the room.

2. New Sound System
A new Genelec sound system with 16 speakers and four subwoofers was installed. The speakers are mounted using a vibration-isolated ceiling suspension system. The system can be precisely adjusted and adapted to the room acoustics using GLM software.

3. New Ventilation and Air-Conditioning System
The old system was replaced with a completely new ventilation and air-conditioning system. The system provides a continuous supply of fresh air and a comfortable indoor climate. The new system allows doors and windows to remain closed during operation, reducing the amount of sound escaping to the outside. The outdoor unit was also installed in the courtyard and soundproofed.

Result
The measures reduced the reverberation time from 1.2 seconds to 0.46 seconds. This significantly improves speech intelligibility and allows music to be played more clearly at lower volume levels. At the same time, the sound pressure level in the room is reduced.
According to the project report, feedback from staff and guests has also been consistently positive. The improved sound distribution and more pleasant working conditions have been particularly highlighted.