Customs House, Circular Quay

In 2003, Sydney’s Customs House undertook a refurbishment of its library and some of its commercial tenancies. PKA was enlisted to assess the existing acoustic environment, both internally and externally. Preliminary acoustic design goals appropriate to the refurbishment were drawn up, along with other recommendations.

Several external noise intrusions needed to be addressed, such as loading dock noise, cafe noise and air conditioning unit noise. Features of the original building affected noise intrusion, requiring solutions that were sensitive to both the desired acoustics and the heritage aesthetic of the building. Various absorptive finishes were recommended for several areas of Customs House, depending on level of use and interior design goals.