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The Plaid acoustic ceiling by Turf in green

As a cultural touchstone of the 1990s, plaid tends to evoke Kurt Cobain’s flannel shirt collection. But these days, the pattern is also contributing to a whole new kind of acoustical nirvana thanks to the design team at Turf. Mind you, the manufacturer’s Plaid acoustic ceiling product skews more grand than grunge. A three-dimensional take on crisscrossing lines, the geometric ceilingscape effectively transforms overhead space into its own architectural focal point. What’s more, the sound-absorbing properties of the system’s recycled PET felt mean that someone can now play “Smells Like Teen Spirit” at one end of the office without drowning out their co-worker’s nearby Zoom call.

It brings something stronger than most false ceilings — especially in an industrial setting.
Marie Christine Dorner, AZ Awards 2023 Juror

Along with its ability to cut down on distracting sonic interference, Plaid’s strength is its extensive customizability. The collection is available as both a stand-alone cloud and a continuous system, with the option to add tile caps that boost its noise-reduction coefficient from 0.60 to 0.90. Turf offers four standard cap options — including the subdued Flat Fill and two-toned Square offset designs, as well as two graphic patterns, Maze and Tubular — but can also work with designers to create custom tiles. Differently sized tiers allow for further flexibility.

The Plaid acoustic ceiling by Turf in a terracotta tone

Then there is Plaid’s wide-ranging palette, which includes no fewer than 32 colours. Thanks to Turf’s use of 60 per cent recycled PET, each hue features a rich heathered effect evocative of the time-worn texture that develops on a favourite flannel shirt or pair of jeans. (Sure enough, options include Faded Denim.) And while it’s sufficiently durable to remain a long-term fixture of any space, Plaid is 100 per cent recyclable at the end of its life cycle.

Combining a dynamic geometric composition with stylish texture, Plaid effectively shifts attention upward — all while delivering great acoustic performance.

Winner: Architectural Products
Plaid

A three-dimensional take on crisscrossing lines, the geometric ceilingscape that is Plaid effectively transforms overhead space into a focal point.

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