VILLA NEUKÖLLN

About the Project
Villa Neukölln is a cultural and event venue on Hermannstraße in Berlin-Neukölln. Located in a former cinema, it hosts concerts, parties, readings and other cultural events. Its programme is developed together with the local creative community and is aimed at a diverse audience.

Initial Situation
Villa Neukölln opened in 2012 and gradually expanded its cultural programme over the following years. As the number of events increased, however, complaints from the immediate neighborhood became more frequent. Sound transmission through the building structure was a particular problem, as the event spaces are located within a residential building.

From 2018 onwards, the programme therefore had to be significantly reduced. Events with live music or DJs could only take place to a limited extent. The aim of the soundproofing measures was to allow the cultural programme to expand again without negatively affecting the surrounding neighborhood.

Measures

1. Sound Insulation of Walls and Ceilings
The interior walls and structural beams in the event hall were fitted with additional sound-insulating structures. The ceiling between the floors was also acoustically improved.

2. Vibration Isolation of the Stage
The stage was structurally separated from the rest of the building in order to reduce the transmission of sound and vibrations to adjacent parts of the building.

3. New Windows
New windows were also installed to address further weak points in the building’s sound insulation.

Result
Most of the planned construction work was completed. Following the measures, Villa Neukölln was able to gradually expand its cultural programme again. So far, there has been no increase in noise complaints since events resumed. According to the project report, however, a final assessment is not yet possible, as the situation with the neighborhood needs to be observed over a longer period and further measurements are planned.

The available budget was not sufficient to fully soundproof the building. Additional soundproofing weaknesses also became apparent during the construction work. Further funding is therefore still needed to address these areas.