Brasserie Harkema - an acoustic trophy

04 december 2004

A rainbow coloured wall stands opposite an enormous wall of wine. In one word: Impressive. With a surface area of 380m2 and a 230 seating capacity, Brasserie Harkema is much larger than the average Amsterdam restaurant…

Harkema’s trophy is its acoustics. Something that is often forgotten in restaurants, but strongly determines atmosphere. It is a challenge to create optimal acoustics in such a large space. …

...Acoustic advisor Peter van der Geer of Event Acoustics calculated that 350m2 of acoustic material was required for the desired effect. This material is worked into the walls. For audio, Van der Geer placed a “sound array” system featuring several small loudspeakers within two tall grey boxes, directed into the restaurant from their location at the bar. Because the roof is made of glass, sound would normally be reflected. These boxes project the sound directly into the restaurant, without deviating up or down. This creates what you may describe as a “pancake” of sound. The correct delay between the small boxes is carefully measured so that all sound is equally distributed.

The split-level loft upstairs posed a more difficult challenge. Music on this level is played approximately 20 decibels louder. Modern dance music such as house, lounge and hip-hop resound through ingenious flat loudspeakers only 5cm thick that are hidden behind steel “curtains”. These boxes are capable of creating an enormous volume. Unfortunately, low bass tones are a hindrance to the neighbours. Van der Geer came up with the perfect solution: the “Bass Creator ” filters out the low bass tones and modifies the frequencies so that your brain is tricked to perceive their presence. These computer-generated tones do not create the vibrations people are accustomed to. In order to complete the experience, twelve “ground shakers” built into the floor cause the floor to throb with each filtered bass tone. …

Extracted from “Theme.nl” winter 2004