Splash! Betty T. Ferguson Recreation Center 

Splash Sculpture in the Betty T. Ferguson Recreation Center Aquatic Facility 

The Betty T. Ferguson Recreation Center Aquatic Facility, Miami Gardens, Fla., offers aquatic fitness classes and swimming lessons where participants need to hear and understand instruction. Acoustical issues—common in most indoor pools—were addressed with a unique sculpture titled Splash!, which features 972 variously colored pinta acoustic SONEX® Rondo Baffles.

The unprecedented sculpture was commissioned as part of the City of Miami Gardens' Art in Public Places Program—a program that aims to bring art into the community. Artist Xavier Cortada originally envisioned a design composed of scattered pool noodles to resemble a splash of water up on the ceiling. Shaped like pool noodles, SONEX Rondo cylindrical baffles are designed to reduce reverberation and echo within indoor pools and other loud, noisy spaces.

"The public-art commission required the artist to create a piece that would add vibrancy and address the sound issue in the indoor swimming pool," says Cortada. "I chose SONEX Rondo Baffles because the products are made fromexpanded-melamine willtec® acoustic foam, a material that offers excellent sound absorption and naturally resembles pool noodles."

"Prior to the installation, we did some acoustical testing. The entire pool area was an echo chamber. After the installation of Splash!, the effect was so audibly noticeable there was no need to do a post test," says Cortada.

Class 1 fire-rated, SONEX Rondo Baffles absorb sound across all frequencies, which in turn prevent noise build up that interferes with speech intelligibility. pinta acoustic's willtec acoustic foam baffles are resistant to fungal and microbial growth and can withstand humid conditions characteristic of indoor swimming pools.

Vertical or horizontal applications are possible and provide design flexibility. SONEX Rondo, cylindrical Baffles are available in standard 24-inch (610 mm) lengths with 6-inch (152 mm) diameters or custom size.Rondo baffles used in the Splash! sculpture were 48 inches (1219 mm) long by 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter. SONEX Rondo Baffles are lightweight and easy to install with cork-screw hangers. pinta acoustic offers baffle products in natural white, light-grey, HPC standard and custom colors.

The SONEX Rondo Baffles were individually suspended from stretched cables within custom made aluminum frames suspended below an exposed metal roof deck. Each SONEX Rondo was hung at a predetermined height to simulate an overall, three-dimensional sound wave effect.