The Department of Acoustics at the Building Research Institute (ITB): A Historical Overview

The article presents the development of the Department of Acoustics at the Building Research Institute (ITB) in Poland and its contribution to the evolution of building acoustics in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Established in the post-war period, the Department initially focused on laboratory investigations of sound insulation and sound absorption of building elements. Over subsequent decades, its activities expanded to include room acoustics, urban and environmental acoustics, modelling of sound transmission phenomena, and the development of prediction and classification methods. The paper documents the systematic development of research infrastructure, the implementation of advanced measurement methodologies, and the establishment of long-term data resources. Particular attention is given to international cooperation within CIB, ISO, CEN, and COST frameworks, which facilitated the integration of Polish research into broader European standardisation and harmonisation processes. The evolution of the ITB Department reflects the wider transformation of European building acoustics from empirically oriented laboratory practice to harmonised performance-based systems embedded in regulatory and sustainability frameworks. The article situates the Polish experience within the broader context of the development of European acoustics in the twentieth century.