Orfield Laboratories

Orfield Laboratories in Minneapolis's Seward neighborhood grew from a building constructed in 1970 as Sound 80, a recording studio tied to the city's music history, where artists including Bob Dylan and Prince recorded and Lipps Inc.'s "Funkytown" was made. Founded by Steven J. Orfield in 1971, the company bought the property in 1990 and developed it into a research and testing center. It is best known for its anechoic chamber, installed after a 1994 addition, a highly engineered space that absorbs 99.9 percent of sound. The chamber has drawn worldwide attention, held quiet-place records, and also serves commercial product design and acoustic testing.

Minneapolis, Minnesota · United States