Textiles in architectural acoustic conditioning: a review

Environmental noise is a problem of increasing interest in advanced societies. Different types of textiles have properties which are suitable for the construction of elements able to condition sound in rooms. The use of these elements can foster acoustic comfort in all kind of rooms, both public and private. This work is a review of the possibilities and trends of textile materials in the field of acoustic conditioning. The use of textile materials for acoustic conditioning is widely extended. On the other hand, many efforts have been done in the last decades to understand the sound absorption mechanisms and to design materials and devices able to customize the sound space. Many of these new developments have used materials like wood, metal, plastic. Textiles can be thought as fully designable materials and potential base of composites, providing their unique technical and aesthetical characteristics to any ensemble.