Understanding the hidden world of acoustics in interior design
Zilenzio is a Swedish brand that has decided to focus on the importance of sound-absorbing solutions, making them useful and beautiful design pieces.
An underestimated, but key part of interior design lies in what you cannot see: acoustics. Any space can be beautifully designed, but if its sound qualities are not well calibrated, it can spoil the experience. Offices are a space where acoustics are fundamental, and Swedish brand Zilenzio has introduced Giro, a room divider that differentiates itself from conventional absorbing panels.
Designed by Spanish studio Yonoh, Giro is designed to bring people together while providing for acoustic comfort. “The idea came from observing how workspaces and social areas have evolved. We no longer just design to separate, but also to connect. We wanted to create a system that brings softnessand flexibility to contemporary interiors, breaking away from rigid, linear partitions andintroducing a more organic rhythm,” says Alex Selma, designer at Yonoh Creative Studio.
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Founded in 2004 by Marie Lindqvist-Pahlstad and Jenny Helldén in a basement in Örebro, Sweden, Zilenzio began with a clear vision: to help enhance spaces where people can truly focus, collaborate, and feel well. As open-plan offices were becoming more and more popular in the early 2000s, companies started to need sound-absorbing solutions that would not obstruct the logistics or aesthetics of an office.
For Giro, Zilenzio partnered up with Yonoh Creative Studio, a multidisciplinary design practice founded by Clara del Portillo and Alex Selma in Valencia, Spain. The two met at a young designers’ exhibition, also in 2004, and officially launched their studio two years later. Their design philosophy focuses on elegance, warmth, harmony, functionality and a refined design. They have built an impressive portfolio working with lighting and furniture manufacturers, including Marset, Sancal, and De Sede.
Rather than creating barriers, Giro is a freestanding acoustic panel system that introduces fluidity and an organic rhythm to interiors. The essence of the design is captured in its name, which means “turn” in Spanish. Each panel is a curved design that provides softness to a space, as well as being an architectural element that can define the paths and turns created in an office, as people walk around it.
At its core, Giro is built from stone wool, a material that is recyclable, ultra-durable, and both fire and water resistant. The combination of stone wool with textile and wood veneer creates an aesthetic balance in the product, between fluidity and solidity. Selma from Yonoh elaborates: “Giro merges functionality, acoustic comfort, and design into a coherent whole, creating pieces that are not only useful but emotionally engaging, a balance we always strive for in our work.” With an N10 acoustic value of 4.2 for the 1600 x 1120 mm configuration, Giro is not just an accessory, as it delivers significant noise reduction.
The product is also defined by its versatility, as it is offered in two heights and six widths, to adapt to any space, and it can come upholstered in 28 different fabric collections with hundreds of colour options. This is key for companies, as most want the interior design of their offices to feel custom and on brand, and not like the products were just picked out of a catalogue. It can also be used beyond the workspace: in hospitality areas, lounges, schools, or shops.
“We’re always looking for ways to help companies create work environments where people feel good and thrive,” says Hans Bergström, CEO at Zilenzio. “Now, we’re very excited to be able to offer Giro. It’s a perfect addition to our collection, combining multifunction, design and sustainability.”
