Elegance and sobriety for the Ovalie hall

Designed by Roland Castro, the Ovalie building in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine is one of the landmark buildings in the inner suburbs of Paris, recognizable by its unique elliptical shape. Already featured in our columns in a feature on workplaces (see L’Agenceur No. 78), the building, renovated in 2024 by the Quadrilatère agency, once again finds its place in our pages, with acoustics being a central consideration. In busy areas, and particularly in the monumental hall that constitutes the soul of Ovalie, the challenge consisted in particular of controlling sound reverberation while preserving a strong aesthetic. The choice fell on the solutions developed by Triplaco, which made it possible to combine architectural requirements and acoustic comfort. Two of the manufacturer's flagship products were used: nano-perforated Ns Flex panels, capable of adapting to complex shapes, and Ls slats on black bi-component felt. Both are clad in Decospan's Shinnoki Smoked Walnut veneer, whose deep grain and warm color give the hall its understated elegance. Beyond their high-end finish, these coverings provide optimal sound absorption, reducing noise pollution in this transit and meeting space.

The construction of a curved acoustic wall several meters high was one of the highlights of the project. Thanks to the flexibility of the Ns Flex system, the Yonne-based design firm Barré & Bouillet was able to create a continuous surface with fluid lines. The result combines technical sophistication and aesthetics: the panels appear to naturally follow the building's elliptical geometry, while offering high-level acoustic performance.

More than just reverberation control, the solutions chosen here contribute to the visual and sensory identity of the space. They confirm that in new-generation office buildings, sound quality is inseparable from overall comfort, just like lighting, materials, and volumes.

Photo credits: Triplaco , Quadrilatère