Bundesrat, Berlin

After the German Bundestag moved from Bonn to Berlin in 1999, the Bundesrat followed one year later. Their new home was an impressive and tradition-rich building in Central Berlin. The building was severely damaged in World War II, and the plenary hall at the heart of it was almost completely destroyed. When it was rebuilt, the hall was provided with a bright wooden interior. The glass ceiling symbolizes the transparency and openness of the democratic decisions that are made in the hall below.

And to ensure that the speeches are as crystal-clear as the architecture and the decisions of the members of parliament, a Focus Modular speaker system from Fohhn was installed to ensure outstanding intelligibility. The modules were recessed into the wall and clad with black acoustic fabric. In this way they are seamlessly integrated into the architecture of the room. This is made possible by the system’s Fohhn Beam Steering Technology. This technology enables the speaker system’s dispersion to be controlled by software, without requiring the modules to be angled physically. The Two Beam Technology also enables multiple independent beams, which means that both the politicians as well as the audience and members of the press on the balcony have the best possible sound. And there are no interfering reflections from the ceiling or walls, as would be the case with point sound sources, for example. And lastly, the settings were selected so as to prevent feedback from the many different microphones.