Sweco Belgium
SILT: Acoustic solutions that balance liveliness and tranquillity
The Casino in Middelkerke is a striking architectural landmark with bold, expressive forms. This new icon on the Belgian coast houses not only a casino, but also a Michelin-starred restaurant, a beach hotel, and an event hall, all connected via an underground car park. As engineering partner in the Nautilus construction team, including ZJA, Delva and Bureau Bouwtechniek, Sweco adopted a multidisciplinary approach, covering building services and structural engineering, as well as consultancy in acoustics, fire safety, and sustainability.
From an acoustic perspective, the challenge was clear: casino visitors, partygoers, and concert audiences should be able to fully enjoy themselves without disturbing diners in the restaurant or interrupting the sleep of hotel guests. At the same time, the peace and quiet of local residents had to be safeguarded. Sweco’s acoustic consultants therefore focused strongly on well-considered airborne and structure-borne sound insulation.
Sound insulation for peaceful nights
Part of the solution lies in the building’s structure. The hotel tower is supported by separate columns that connect directly to the substructure, allowing it to function as independently as possible from the plinth that houses the casino and event hall.
Within the base of the building, each space was given a tailored solution. The event hall features a high-performance floating screed and substantial mass in its floors, roof slabs, and walls. The foyer, restaurant, and casino were also equipped with adapted floor structures.
Additional acoustic measures were integrated between the various functions. Sound locks with airlock doors limit sound transmission between spaces. A large window provides visual contact between the restaurant and the event hall, while an acoustically optimised double-wall construction—with bespoke detailing—ensures that restaurant guests are not audibly immersed in the event hall.
Ventilation ducts are fitted with acoustic insulation and silencers to prevent cross-talk between functions, while the façade design avoids flanking sound transmission between spaces. Together, these measures ensure that all users of SILT can enjoy the building to the full.
Comfort and safety go hand in hand
Although the casino extends out over the sea wall, it is bordered by residential buildings on the landward side. Sweco’s acoustic consultants advised on optimising façades, glazing, roofs, and technical installations to guarantee peaceful nights for nearby residents.
The roof of the partially underground event hall incorporates vibration-damping interruptions. For fire safety, smoke and heat extraction ducts are integrated into the roof structure. As such high-performance roofs can present acoustic leakage risks, a combination of two consecutive smoke hatches and sufficient damping within the ducts was applied. This approach successfully reconciles acoustic comfort for residents with safety requirements for users. Read all about the performance-based fire safety solutions Sweco engineered.
A horizontal and vertical glass sound lock at the façade of the event hall further limits noise transmission while allowing daylight to penetrate the underground space.
Technical installations on roofs are often a major source of noise nuisance. At SILT, careful selection and positioning of the installations ensures minimal impact on the surroundings.
Flemish Government calls on Sweco for acoustic quality
The expertise of Sweco’s acoustic consultants is also recognised at government level. At the end of last year, the Flemish Government published a comprehensive online resource on acoustic façade insulation, acknowledging scientific evidence that noise significantly impacts health and quality of life.
Sweco supports this initiative by providing a practical construction guide and calculation methodology to determine appropriate acoustic façade insulation when building or renovating homes exposed to high traffic noise.
Let’s get the party started
Acoustics are not only about limiting disturbance; they also play a vital role in the quality of the user experience. Sweco’s acoustic consultants optimised the room acoustics of the event hall, foyer, and restaurant, always respecting the building’s striking architecture.
In the event hall, this was achieved through a wooden slatted ceiling, perforated white wall panels, and white acoustic spray plaster applied beneath the mezzanine and on the underside of the mezzanine floor.
In the foyer, large glass surfaces and the generous volume made acoustic absorption more challenging. A targeted study identified the most effective locations for absorption, including landing copings, the underside of walkways, deepened niches, column edge strips, and selected ceiling surfaces.
Through carefully considered interventions, Sweco’s acoustic consultants successfully balanced an intense user experience with tranquillity for the surrounding environment—while fully respecting the architectural quality of this remarkable building.
photos ©stefansteenkiste – simulations ©Sweco
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