Acoustic room in the Gasometer Oberhausen – multifunctional, round, highly soundproofed
14th Rigips Trophy 2024 | 2025: Construction company J. Brinkmann GmbH was awarded the Special Prize for Acoustics
The Gasometer in Oberhausen was Europe's largest operational disc gas holder until 1988. For the last three decades, it has been a significant landmark of industrial culture in the Ruhr region, attracting visitors from far and wide with its 18 spectacular exhibitions to date. Standing at 117.5 metres high with a diameter of nearly 68 metres, the structure is the tallest exhibition hall in Europe. A particular highlight of the latest exhibition "Planet Ocean", which was on display in Oberhausen until November 2025, was the immersive installation "Sound of the Deep". For this installation, a round, highly soundproofed and multifunctional acoustic space was created under monument protection conditions. The KunstPlus Studio from Berlin was responsible for the architectural design and unique form of the project. The highly demanding planning work required perfect execution, entrusted to the Oberhausen-based construction company J. Brinkmann GmbH. In recognition of their exceptional performance, the interior specialists received the Special Prize for Acoustics at the 14th Rigips Trophy.
The Gasometer in Oberhausen is 117.5 metres high and has a diameter of nearly 68 metres. Until 1988, it was the largest operational disc gas holder in Europe. For over three decades, the structure has been a prominent symbol of industrial heritage in the Ruhr region. Having hosted 18 spectacular exhibitions to date, the Gasometer is a popular attraction for visitors from near and far. A particular highlight of the most recent exhibition "Planet Ocean", was the immersive installation "Sound of the Deep", for which a round, highly soundproofed and multifunctional acoustic space was created in accordance with monument protection regulations. Photos: Nielinger Photography
"Sound of the Deep" was a fascinating journey through the unknown soundscapes of the world's oceans. An exciting excursion into the mysterious underwater world and the unique world of sound. In a round, nearly soundproof acoustic space with a diameter of 14.5 meters, visitors could listen to the mysterious songs of whales, the clicking sounds typical of dolphins, and the diverse noises of small marine creatures below the water's surface. Centrally located in the Gasometer, the acoustic space will also be used in the upcoming exhibition after a visual redesign.
Challenge of monument protection
At the heart of the Gasometer is the enormous, monument-protected gas pressure disc, the central element of the acoustic space. The disc once "floated" on the gas stored in the structure and kept the pressure constant. Now it rests on 4.30-meter-high steel supports, forming the load-bearing ceiling structure. The task of the interior specialists from the construction company J. Brinkmann was to integrate highly soundproofed drywall constructions into the steel structure. Additionally, the walls had to be prepared to support exhibition displays. This had to be done under challenging conditions: throughout the construction period, the team had to maintain a consistently clean construction site while exhibition exhibits were being set up simultaneously.
Only glued and clamped!
The central challenge was that the wall and ceiling connections could not be fixed using traditional methods due to monument protection regulations. "No screws were allowed – neither into the monument-protected gas pressure disc nor into the steel supports. We had to ensure that any constructions we installed, such as sealing the wall and ceiling connections, could be removed without leaving any residue," explains project manager Benjamin Brinkmann. Consequently, the lateral wall and ceiling connections of the wall construction were fixed to the steel supports using adhesive technology instead of conventional fastening methods.
At the heart of the Gasometer is the enormous, monument-protected gas pressure disc, the central element of the acoustic space, which has a diameter of 14.5 metres. The disc once "floated" on the gas stored in the Gasometer and kept the pressure constant. Now it rests on 4.30-meter-high steel supports, forming the load-bearing ceiling structure. Due to monument protection reasons, the attachment of wall and ceiling connections could not be done using conventional fastening methods. No screws were allowed – neither into the gas pressure disc nor into the adjacent steel constructions. Installed constructions, such as the sealing of wall and ceiling connections, had to be removable without leaving any residue. The lateral wall and ceiling connections were therefore fixed to the steel supports using adhesive technology. The connections were additionally wedged, braced, and foam-filled along the entire wall height to ensure stability. Subsequently, the interior specialists sealed the lateral wall joints airtight with adhesive tape. Photos: Karsten Schuhl, Kunst+ Studio, Berlin
Connections of the wall, ceiling, and upper wall head
To ensure stability, the connections were wedged, braced and foam-filled along the entire height of the wall. The lateral wall joints were then made airtight using adhesive tape. The upper wall head connection was carried out by the drywall team using a pressing technique. The cavity between the upper UA profile and the monument-protected steel gas pressure disc in the wall was tightly filled with ISOVER Acoustic SSP1 soundproofing slabs made of glass wool. The ceiling connection area was filled with ISOVER BSP 40 fireproofing slabs made of stone wool.
Best Q4 quality for projection surfaces
To execute the wall constructions, the interior team collaborated with the architect, fire protection officer and Rigips technicians to find the ideal solution: the Rigips Habito massive drywall board. This was used as cladding material on the stud frame profiles braced between the steel supports by specialists from construction company J. Brinkmann. "Due to the required distance of about 3 cm between the expanding room ceiling or steel gas pressure disc and the actual wall cladding, we sealed the expansion joint airtight with the help of a special compression tape, just like with the wall connections," says Benjamin Brinkmann. For high-quality surfaces, the particularly easy-to-process and versatile Rigips VARIO joint filler was used, which, among other things, has very good adhesion and extremely low shrinkage behaviour. "In the entire interior area of the acoustic space, we achieved the highest surface quality with Q4. The walls thus also form ideal projection surfaces."
Sketch from the tender for the lateral wall connection. Detailed representation of the upper ceiling connection. Sketches: Karsten Schuhl, Kunst+ Studio, Berlin & construction company J. Brinkmann GmbH, Essen / Oberhausen
Securing heavy loads without dowels
The interior experts from the construction company J. Brinkmann deliberately chose the massive drywall board Rigips Habito for the execution of the wall constructions to best meet the diverse requirements: "This high-quality board offers excellent sound and fire protection. It enables F30 and F90 fire protection constructions and offers better sound insulation than standard constructions. The difference in sound insulation between solid building materials and Rigips Habito is 25 dB. The exhibition operation required the best soundproofing. Therefore, we paid attention to high-quality materials and execution. With Rigips Habito, we were also able to secure heavy loads at any desired location on the drywall walls in the acoustic space – without dowels or drills. We worked only with a screwdriver and the corresponding Rigips Habito screws." A 12.5 mm thick Rigips Habito board has a tensile strength of 30 kg per screw. With double-layer cladding, weights of up to 60 kg can even be mounted.
Highly resistant and robust
Another strength of the Rigips Habito drywall board is its exceptional robustness. Rigips Habito is up to 50 per cent more resistant than traditional plasterboard. It can withstand mechanical impacts such as blows or bumps. "More than 1.5 million visitors have viewed the exhibition in the Gasometer – the board material has to withstand quite a lot. Rigips Habito has an especially hard surface, making it highly robust and resistant to external impacts."
The interior team screwed the Rigips Habito drywall board onto the stud frame profiles braced between the steel supports. Due to the required distance of approximately 3 cm between the room's ceiling or steel gas pressure disc and the wall cladding, the expansion joint was sealed airtight using a special compression tape, as was done with the wall connections. Photos: Nielinger Photography, Essen
Intelligent solutions for particularly challenging tasks
The expert jury of the 14th Rigips Trophy 2024/2025 was immediately impressed by the variety of intelligent solutions to particularly challenging tasks. The specialists from construction company J. Brinkmann GmbH had to consider room and building acoustics simultaneously. Additionally, due to the temporary nature of the exhibition space, the project required careful planning for dismantling from the outset. According to the unanimous verdict of the jury, the construction project particularly benefited from the excellent soundproofing properties and high robustness of the Rigips Habito boards used to protect exhibits and walls.
Construction board:
Client: Gasometer Oberhausen GmbH, Oberhausen
Architect: Kunst+ (Kunst Plus) - Karsten Schuhl, Berlin
Drywall: Construction company J. Brinkmann GmbH, Essen / Oberhausen
Rigips area manager: Udo Struensee, SAINT-GOBAIN RIGIPS GmbH, Düsseldorf
High-quality surfaces were created using the Rigips VARIO joint filler, which is particularly easy to process and versatile, with very good adhesion and extremely low shrinkage behaviour. The surfaces were finished to the highest Q4 standard throughout the entire interior of the acoustic space. This makes the walls ideal for use as projection surfaces. In addition to their robust surface and high soundproofing properties, Rigips Habito impresses with its ability to easily support heavy loads in any desired location on drywall. Neither dowels nor drills are required. After a visual redesign, the round, nearly soundproof acoustic space will be used for the upcoming exhibition "Mythos Wald" (opening on 20 March 2026). Visitors will then be able to experience the sound installation "Global Sunrise", which focuses on sounds heard at sunrise in various locations around the world. Photos: Nielinger Photography, Essen
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