PRACHTWERK

About the project
Prachtwerk is a cultural and music venue in Berlin-Neukölln. It regularly hosts concerts, parties and other events.

Initial situation
Prachtwerk hosts more than 100 concerts each year. In addition, the venue hosts private parties with party music and DJs, some of which continue late into the night. As the building contains both residential and commercial spaces, there have been repeated complaints about noise.
A soundproofing assessment showed that the windows and the stage area in particular needed to be improved. Guests also regularly opened the windows during events, which allowed more sound to escape outside.

Measures

1. Ventilation system
A ventilation system was installed so that the windows can remain closed during events. Due to the building’s old construction, the installation was complex and required an external engineer for a structural assessment.

2. Soundproof curtains
Soundproof curtains were installed in front of all relevant windows to further reduce sound escaping outside.

3. Vibration isolation in the stage area
Measures were implemented in the stage area to reduce the transmission of structural vibrations through the building.

Result
The measures were successful. In particular, the new ventilation system and the soundproof curtains have significantly reduced noise reaching the street. The vibration isolation has also reduced structural noise inside the building. Since the measures were implemented, complaints from neighbours have become much less frequent.
A planned soundproof door and work on the surround sound system could not initially be carried out due to increased costs. These measures were postponed to a second round of funding.