Wimbledon indoor tennis centre
Acoustic absorbing panels and oak slat panels under a curved timber-faced ceiling.
- Space
- Indoor courts, lounge and reception
- Location
- Wimbledon, London
- Delivered by
- Express Group
Acoustics for sports halls and leisure centres
Hard surfaces and high ceilings make sports halls, pools and indoor courts echoey (reverberant). Coaching is hard to hear and noise builds. We treat large, hard-wearing spaces so they keep their energy without the roar.
The problem
Big volumes, hard floors, block walls and metal roofs reflect sound for a long time. Instructions get lost, announcements blur and the space tires the people using it.
Featured project: Wimbledon indoor tennis centre
Indoor courts under a curved timber-faced ceiling, with slatted timber walls. High reverberation times made communication and teaching difficult.
Class A acoustic absorbing panels and oak slat panels were installed to reduce echo while keeping the timber look of the building.
What usually works
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Sports halls and indoor courts
High-level wall panels and ceiling treatment over the largest surfaces. Tell us the sports played and we will recommend the treatment.
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Pools
Wood wool panels: the data sheet states they keep their properties in humid rooms. Tell us about the pool hall and we will confirm the build-up.
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Foyers and cafés
Timber slat ceilings and rafts.
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Studios
Wall panels to control reflections.
Projects
Twickenham Stadium was delivered by our sister company, Express Group, as part of a wider interiors package for Willmott Dixon Interiors.
Partitions, ceilings and linings by Express Group
Splashes Leisure Centre
Linear timber slat acoustic ceilings in the café, reception and a corridor.
- Space
- Café, reception and corridor
- Delivered by
- Express Group
Twickenham Stadium
Timber acoustic ceilings and bespoke oak ceiling rafts, as part of an Express Group package.
- Space
- Stadium hospitality interiors
- Location
- Twickenham
- Delivered by
- Express Group
Hall or pool too echoey?
Send the drawings or a floor plan with the ceiling height. We will recommend the treatment and coverage.
Questions about sports and leisure
Why are sports halls so loud?
Large volumes and hard surfaces reflect sound for a long time, so noise builds up. Absorbing panels on walls and ceilings shorten the reverberation time.
Do sports halls in schools have acoustic targets?
Yes. BB93 sets reverberation targets for school sports halls. See Schools for how we work to them.
Other spaces
Illustrative renders and computer-generated room images, not photographs of our projects.