Can a plank ceiling achieve the same visual openness as an open cell or egg crate ceiling?

From our experience as an aluminum ceiling manufacturer, achieving the visual openness of open cell or egg crate ceilings with plank systems is entirely feasible through considered detailing: widen the plank reveals, increase perforation patterns strategically, and use selective module removal to create larger sightlines to the plenum in non-sensitive areas. Combining larger perforations with translucent backlighting or dimmable uplighting can create the luminous depth typically associated with egg crate modules while preserving acoustic control with backing materials—an approach that works well in retail concourses in Dubai or hospitality atria in Beirut. Alternating plank fields with true open cell modules in circulation zones yields a hybrid that benefits from clean plank surfaces and the airiness of open cells where desired. For airports and transit hubs in Doha and Cairo, specifying removable plank panels alongside open modules achieves serviceability and fire compliance without sacrificing openness. Finish choice and edge detail matter: crisp, narrow reveals and consistent shadow lines reinforce the perception of openness, while perforation geometry tailored to sightline directions reduces the sense of enclosure. Thus, plank ceilings can replicate or even enhance the open aesthetic when engineered in tandem with lighting and plenum treatments.