This open-air rooftop bistro sits atop a boutique coastal hotel in Southeast Asia, taking in ocean views and serving all-day dining and evening cocktails. The semi-enclosed space features exposed steel trusses, polished concrete floors and full-height glass balustrades — hard, reflective surfaces that amplified crowd chatter, clinking glassware and background music into heavy reverberation during peak hours. The high local humidity and salty coastal air also meant standard acoustic materials would degrade quickly, warping or growing mould over time. The hotel team wanted an acoustic upgrade that would stand up to the tropical coastal climate while blending into the space’s warm, relaxed resort aesthetic.

We specified cement-bonded wood wool acoustic ceiling panels for the main overhead canopy, paired with custom-cut polyester fiber acoustic panels on interior feature walls. The wood wool panels deliver a stable NRC of 0.80–0.90, with a dense fibre-cement structure that resists humidity, salt air and temperature swings naturally. All panels carry ASTM E84 Class A fire certification, a mandatory requirement for local hospitality venues. No extra paint or coating was needed — the raw textured surface complements the space’s industrial-resort style and ages well in coastal conditions. On the inner partition walls, E0-grade formaldehyde-free polyester panels in soft sand tones absorb mid-high frequency table chatter, with a moisture-resistant formulation that holds up to daily air conditioning and occasional humidity spikes.

The 270㎡ installation was completed in 11 days, scheduled entirely during low-traffic morning shifts to avoid disrupting dining service. Today, peak-hour ambient noise is noticeably lower across the dining terrace. Guests can hold conversations at normal volume even when the space is full, and average dwell time has increased noticeably. The textured wood wool ceiling has also become a subtle design feature, matching the raw, laid-back vibe of the venue while delivering consistent long-term acoustic performance.