MOGU PLUMA AT THREE CHAMBERLAIN SQUARE
Mycelium-based acoustics for a next-generation workplace
As part of the Paradise Birmingham masterplan, Three Chamberlain Square was designed by FCB Studios as a sustainable workplace focused on occupant wellbeing and environmental performance.
To enhance acoustic comfort within the building's shared and hospitality areas, FCB Studios selected Mogu PLUMA acoustic panels, integrating over 150 sqm of mycelium-based surfaces throughout communal spaces
"It was the primary reason. Sustainability was the driving factor behind the material selection"
George Wilson, Partner, FCB Studios
The Design Challenge
Large workplace environments require a careful balance between openness, collaboration and comfort. Shared spaces, hospitality areas and circulation zones often generate high levels of background noise, making acoustic control essential to support concentration, communication and everyday user experience.
For Three Chamberlain Square, the challenge was to improve acoustic comfort in highly frequented communal spaces while integrating the acoustic treatment into the architectural language of the building rather than concealing it behind secondary finishes.
At the same time, material selection needed to support the project's broader sustainability objectives and commitment to responsible specification.
Material Expression and Context
Facing Birmingham Town Hall, the project establishes a direct visual relationship with one of the city's most significant historic landmarks. Visible through the building's full-height glazing, the Town Hall's Corinthian columns became an important reference for the interior design strategy.
The Fluted texture of PLUMA was selected for its ability to reinterpret the vertical rhythm of these historic elements through a contemporary biomaterial surface. The result is a subtle connection between the building's interior and its urban context, where architectural heritage informs material expression.
Cultivated in custom ribbed moulds, the mycelium panels develop a naturally varied texture that combines geometric precision with organic character, introducing depth, tactility and visual interest to the communal spaces.
"The material contributed to both the architectural concept and the user experience mostly through the wellness and bio-based environment we were trying to create. The acoustic properties were an added bonus, and the various forms the panels come in allowed us to find a solution that worked within the overall architectural and aesthetic intent."
George Wilson, Partner, FCB Studios
Why PLUMA
Selected for its combination of acoustic performance, material innovation and low environmental impact, PLUMA aligned with the project's sustainability objectives while contributing a distinctive material identity to the interiors.
Manufactured using mycelium—the vegetative root structure of fungi—the panels offer a renewable alternative to conventional acoustic materials. For this project, PLUMA was specified in the Fluted texture and in the colours A015 Mushroom and A003 Fern, helping create a warm and natural atmosphere throughout the shared areas.
The combination of acoustic absorption and finished surface within a single element allowed the material itself to become part of the architectural composition.
"We selected Mogu PLUMA primarily the bio-based nature of the material – which aligned with our whole sustainability and wellness approach – and the ability for the panels to offer circular benefits, as at end of life they can be broken down to contribute to more panel manufacture or compost/bio-degrade naturally."
George Wilson, Partner, FCB Studios
Integration into the Interior Architecture
More than 150 sqm of PLUMA panels were installed across reception, shared and hospitality areas where acoustic performance and user comfort were key requirements.
Specified for high-occupancy environments, the panels contribute to reducing reverberation and improving acoustic comfort while simultaneously functioning as a finished architectural surface. The Fluted profile introduces rhythm and depth across large surfaces, creating a coherent visual language that complements FCB Studios' architectural approach while adding a tactile dimension to the interiors
Integration into the Interior Architecture
More than 150 sqm of PLUMA panels were installed across reception, shared and hospitality areas where acoustic performance and user comfort were key requirements.
Specified for high-occupancy environments, the panels contribute to reducing reverberation and improving acoustic comfort while simultaneously functioning as a finished architectural surface. The Fluted profile introduces rhythm and depth across large surfaces, creating a coherent visual language that complements FCB Studios' architectural approach while adding a tactile dimension to the interiors
Project Outcome
At Three Chamberlain Square, PLUMA contributes to acoustic comfort, material sustainability and architectural expression through a single integrated solution. By combining sound absorption, bio-based material innovation and a distinctive surface quality, the panels demonstrate how acoustic treatments can move beyond a purely technical role to become an active component of the spatial experience.
The project highlights the potential of mycelium-based materials to address both performance requirements and environmental objectives, supporting a new generation of workplaces that are more sustainable, human-centred and connected to nature.
Project Details
Project: Three Chamberlain Square
Location: Birmingham, United Kingdom
Architect: Feilden Clegg Bradley (FCB Studios)
Masterplan: Paradise Birmingham
Product: Mogu PLUMA Acoustic Panels
Installed Surface: 150 sqm
Finish: Fluted
Colours: A015 Mushroom and A003 Fern
Application Areas: Reception, shared spaces and hospitality environments
Project team
Client Federated Hermes
Development manager MEPC
Architect Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBStudios)
M&E and structural engineer Cundall
BREEAM assessor CCC Project Services
Main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine
Project Manager and Cost Consultant AtkinsRealis