Enhance spatial comfort with Kvadrat’s acoustic curtains

In contemporary interiors, acoustics are as important as light, colour, and material. Poor sound quality can negatively affect productivity, well-being, and speech clarity, making spaces feel stressful and distracting. Our acoustic curtains offer a versatile way to achieve sound improvement. They adjust the atmosphere of a space by softening sound, enhancing privacy and defining zones without permanent structures, bringing acoustic comfort, flexibility and aesthetics together.  

What is an acoustic curtain?

All textiles influence the acoustic environment of a space. Some curtains, however, are specifically tested for their acoustic performance, which means we know their sound-absorbing properties and how they affect a room’s acoustics. Within Kvadrat’s range, these are referred to as acoustic curtains. The optimal choice depends on several factors, including the interior design, the characteristics of the sound environment, and the placement of the curtains in the space.

Acoustic curtains are particularly effective in sound absorption of high-frequency sounds such as speech, office noises such as printers or keyboard clicks, city traffic and other high-pitched sounds. By reducing noise levels, they create calmer environments in offices, hospitality venues, cultural institutions, and residential spaces, where acoustic comfort is increasingly considered essential to well-being and performance. 

Sound-absorbing curtains

Our curtains with sound-absorbing properties reduce echo and reverberation, and improve speech clarity by trapping sound waves. The sound-absorbing properties of Kvadrat’s curtains follow the international standard indicated by the acoustic classification class A–E according to EN ISO 354. This classification refers to the sound absorption performance of materials or products based on their weighted sound absorption coefficient, often called Alpha-w (αw). These classes indicate how well a material absorbs sound rather than blocks it, and span from 0 to 1. A value of 0 means that all sound will go through the curtains and get reflected back through the curtains by the wall. A value of 1 means that all sound is absorbed.

Class A provides the highest absorption with a weighted sound absorption coefficient αw between 0.90 and 1, whereas Class E provides minimal absorption with αw around 0.15 – 0.25. The αw value approximately corresponds to the percentage of sound absorbed. For instance, an αw value of 0.4 translates into 40% absorption of sound. Acoustic absorption of a textile is measured in both its flat and folded states. To enable easy and accurate comparison between qualities, Kvadrat provides data for each of the test results. 

Transparent acoustic curtains

Our transparent acoustic curtains provide an ideal balance between sound control and light transmission, making them a perfect solution for modern interiors. Unlike dense, sound-absorbing textiles, these fabrics allow natural daylight to filter through while still delivering acoustic benefits. By integrating acoustic performance with subtle transparency, these curtains not only enhance well-being but also contribute to flexible, aesthetically pleasing architectural solutions.

This means a room can feel bright and open without compromising on comfort or speech clarity. When used in façades or in spaces where maintaining a sense of connection to the outside landscape is important, Melu Acoustics is an ideal choice as it creates effective screening while softening noise levels. For workplaces divided by glass partitions, designs such as Drops Acoustic or Volume are ideal, as they soften sound and enhance privacy without blocking natural light. 

Sound-blocking curtains

Thicker and multi-layered, acoustic curtains with sound-blocking properties not only absorb sound but also reduce sound transmission from outside (traffic, neighbours, machinery) into a room, or between adjacent spaces. Sound transmission is measured in decibels (dB), showing the extent to which the curtain limits the passage of sound. The higher the dB value, the better the curtain’s sound-blocking performance. As a result, sound-blocking curtains are ideal for creating room-in-room installations and enhancing privacy in open-plan interiors. For optimal acoustic performance, sound-blocking curtains should be installed directly on the ceiling, beam or soffit.

Multi-layer curtains outperform single-layer ones primarily because the additional layers provide increased mass, thickness and multiple barriers for sound and heat to pass through. This leads to better sound absorption, reduced sound transmission and enhanced privacy. For example, Waves is designed for room-in-room installations or open-plan settings and provides class A sound absorption while also reducing the sound transmission by 12-14 dB.

Why choose Kvadrat curtains?

At Kvadrat, quality and design are at the heart of everything we do. Our curtains are carefully crafted from premium materials, combining durability with understated elegance. With a versatile range of curtain textiles, we enable architects, designers, and end-users to bring their vision to life, one window at a time. Discover how Kvadrat curtains can transform a space, explore our collection, get in touch, or sign up to stay inspired and informed.

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