A bold light and sound experience by Autex Acoustics and DARKON

Last month, Melbourne’s Bennetts Lane came alive to celebrate SENSATION, an immersive experience hosted by Autex Acoustics and DARKON. With more than 200 architects, designers and specifiers in attendance, the event showcased how acoustics and lighting shape the way spaces are perceived and occupied.

The many attendees gathered high in the sky, on levels 14 and 15, in a recently completed fjcstudio commercial building and enjoyed cocktails, wine and delicious food while gaining a deeper understanding of how acoustic treatments coupled with lighting can change an environment.

A bold light and sound experience by Autex Acoustics and DARKON

The experience was structured around a deliberate contrast. Guests first entered a raw, untreated environment – a hard, reflective shell where amplified sound, music and conversation collided, creating an intense and disorienting sensory condition.

From there, the experience shifted into a fully resolved space, where acoustic treatment and lighting design had been carefully integrated to support clarity, interaction and comfort.

The transition was immediate and measurable. Reverberation time reduced from approximately 3.5 seconds to 0.6 seconds when moving between the two spaces. The spatial transition highlighted the real difference that acoustics and lighting can achieve when applied to a built shell, providing balance and comfort where sound supports the experience rather than competes with it.

Rather than positioning acoustics as a technical overlay, SENSATION framed it as a spatial and experiential driver, shaping behaviour and the quality of interaction within the room. DARKON worked in parallel to define focal points and atmosphere, while Autex Acoustics systems absorbed and moderated sound, improving speech clarity and overall spatial comfort.

“We wanted designers to feel the difference, not just observe it. The shift between the two environments changed how people behaved – how they moved, how long they stayed and how they connected with each other,” says Rob Jones, Technical and Development Manager at Autex Acoustics.

Twelve Autex Acoustics products were integrated into the space on level 14 with wall panels as free-standing dividers, workstation screens, ceiling and floating panels. While there was a crowd, conversations were heard and the environment was warm and comfortable. The curated selection of DARKON’s architectural lighting systems provided creative definition and helped display the various textures, forms and styles of the acoustic panels.

The collaboration of Autex Acoustics and DARKON, and the presentation of their complementary products, also highlighted a shared philosophy between the two Australian-manufacturing brands, where sustainable material performance, local manufacturing and a commitment to architectural application is key.

As an experiential event, SENSATION was sensational but more than this, the collaboration offered a clear insight that environments are not simply visual but should support all the senses whether at work or play. SENSATION recognised that the pairing of sound with light as part of the same design language offers so much more for every environment, and it was a sensational party too!