Cafeteria transforms into a vibrant hub of school life
In 2024, the dining areas of the Mission School in Papeete, Tahiti, were completed after months of renovation. The project, led by Infinity Architecture, is as much about rethinking the school’s visual identity as it is about addressing its challenges. At the heart of the redesign lies the cafeteria – a long, narrow hall central to daily life yet plagued by noise and an overall lack of warmth. With large groups of children gathered in a single space, noise levels quickly rise, and effective acoustic solutions become essential.
Vibrant shapes and colours reshape the space
The scale of the challenge was clear: the existing roof, a sheet of metal supported by a visible steel structure, offered little to no sound-absorbing capacity, leaving the chatter and play of children amplified into overwhelming levels. Infinity Architecture turned to two Rockfon acoustic solutions that complement one another, installed by Lucky Company.
Over 800 square metres of Rockfon white tiles, in the 600x600 format, are installed to create a consistent layer of sound absorption throughout the room. The tiles absorb sounds, reducing noise and reverberation to maximise acoustic comfort and improve speech intelligibility. In addition to their Class A sound absorption, they have an A1 fire safety rating and reflect 86 percent of lihgting, brightening the hall while ensuring comfort.
Over the foundation of white ceiling tiles, 80 Rockfon Eclipse Customised floating ceiling panels are suspended in striking, dynamic shapes – Triangle, Rectangle, Circle, and Hexagon – covering over 100 square metres. Along with the ceiling tiles, they control reverberation and reshape how the space feels. The play of form and colour becomes central to the project’s identity. The floating ceiling panels echo the geometry of the windows lining the hall, while their bold palette disrupts the cafeteria’s former monotony. In the kindergarten section, the panels appear in primary hues and playful shapes, while in the elementary school, the design matures into softer tones and more structured forms.
Gaétan Jeanson, project engineer at Infinity Architecture, explains that practicality is also a driving factor. “Lucky Company, responsible for the partitions and the suspended ceilings, particularly appreciates the ease of installation of Rockfon systems, especially for the assembly and adjustment of the floating ceiling panels.” This efficiency allows the project to progress in two carefully planned phases, ensuring that meal service for students could continue without interruption.
Acoustic design redefines daily meals
The persistent reverberation at the school cafeteria is replaced by speech clarity; the dull linearity breaks into a dynamic rhythm; the space transforms into a bright and engaging place to gather. “This rehabilitation project perfectly illustrates how a thoughtful approach, combining technical expertise and aesthetic sensitivity, can transform a constrained space into a pleasant, functional, and stimulating place for its occupants", says Sabir Lecheheb, Architect and Director at Infinity Architecture. "Rockfon acoustic solutions, far from being simple noise absorbers, prove to be true tools for spatial design"
