Soundproofing a nightclub on the 3rd story in a quiet area

Hi Everyone I've been searching the net for some information on large soundproof windows or methods of soundproofing large windows and I haven't really concluded a problem I'm trying to solve. I understand that this forum is all about studios but I'm just not sure where to obtain the information I need other than searching down a construction company that's dealt with these specialities. so please forgive me.. as the story goes, a partner and I have decided to open a nightclub and while searching for a suitable venue, we came across a beautiful spot on the 3rd story of a shopping centre. The problem is, it's a very quiet area and there is a problem with noise complaints.. and the venue is high up and is completely open as it's basically a roof venue with back walls. what im trying to figure out is if ill be able to soundproof it by surrounding it with large glass walls so we can still maintain the view. i do think it's a long shot but here's the description. it's basically an area on the roof of a shopping centre that's about 15m by 15m with low surrounding walls about a meter high and a full back wall. The roof protruding from the back wall only covers a fifth of the sky above and it rests on pillars and is a standard hight of 2.5 meters or so. What we'd essentially like to do is to install soundproof windows all around the venue and complete the roof with some sort of sound proof roofing. The windows will cover a total area of 35m wide by 2.5m high. I understand that this might seem insane but we believe we could turn this venue into a very classy place with a beautiful view of the city if we manage to overcome this problem. I would be very grateful if anyone could help me answer these two questions. 1. will it be possible to block enough sound off to the houses next door about 100m away. 2. if so, what kind of soundproofing method would be sufficient for the windows and roof. again I apologise for intruding in this forum but i believe if anyone knows about soundproofing, it would be studio specialists. Thank you everybody..

Hi Matthew. Probably the guy whose opinion you need most is Rod Gervais. He designs and builds that kind of thing for a living (studios, hotels, sound stages, etc.) and he wrote the book on the subject of studio construction. He posts here every now and then. Look him up and contact him directly. It sounds like you need his professional advice. Personally, I reckon what you want to accomplish is doable, but it is going to cost you a small fortune to build glass walls that big with enough mass and separation to tame a night club, and make it palatable to the neighbors! That is serious isolation that you are talking about. The kind of glass you need (very thick laminated glass) is really expensive to start with, and you need so much of it! Most folks here would give their right arm for 3 or 4 square meters of that stuff, and it looks like you are going to need nearly two hundred square meters of it. Gulp! I hope you have lots of "right arms" to give! :) You might also have other areas that will need serious treatment, such as the floor, for example. You may well be able to build a fantastic glass wall, but if your floor isolation is no good, then it will all be for nothing. Sound will take the easiest path out of your room, regardless of whether that is a door, a window, a wall, the floor, the ceiling, a ventilation duct, a service duct, or whatever. And once low frequency sound is out, even if it is through a really small hole, it will wrap around the building in all directions, and bug neighbors all around you. Low frequency sound is the hardest to stop (drums, bass guitar, etc.) Another issue will be weight and structure. In order to get the level of isolation that you are talking about, you need LOTS of mass. Those windows are going to be extremely heavy, and if you have to float your floor, that means several more tons of concrete, most likely. The building structure may not be able to handle that huge extra load. Only a structural engineer can tell you for sure. So, I think you need someone like Rod to guide you through the process. It's doable, I think, but expensive, and it would be very sad if you don't get it right after spending big money, with lots of zeroes on the end. Someone like Rod will ensure that you do get it done right! That's my US$ 0.02 - Stuart -