London, United Kingdom
March 2021
N/A
Acoustics, Over Stage Engineering, Track Systems
Events, Exhibitions & Conferences
J&C Joel was approached by Dave Parsons, Principal Consultant at Vanguardia, to support a project involving Bold Tendencies. Bold Tendencies is a not-for-profit arts organisation based in the rooftop spaces of Peckham Multi-Storey Car Park.
The project required us to design and install a unique set of acoustic drapes to achieve two objectives.
First, they required a tracked, decorative, acoustically insulating and absorbent drape to divide their performance space. The drape needed to provide acoustic insulation and absorption to create a more intimate space.
Second, to reduce the amount of sound escaping from the open sides of the car park. To achieve this, we installed a series of acoustically insulating drapes to permanently cover the apertures.
Once the site had been surveyed, we worked with the Bold Tendencies team and Hannah Barry Gallary to agree on the fabrics and the number of layers for the decorative divider drape.
Together, we selected our Coloured Wool Serge in Gold for the front and rear layers, with 50% fullness. In between, we utilised our Midnight PVC Projection Screen to act as the ‘blocker’ layer. This fabric offers a more supple alternative to traditional PVC, helping the drape look neater when open.
To protect the base of the drape from wear and tear caused by the rough car park floor, we used our Clear PVC to create a ‘cap’.
For the fixed insulating drapes, we utilised our Wool Serge 565 and our 620gsm Black PVC Coated fabric. As the rear layer would remain exposed to the elements, we opted for a two-layer construction.
Our expert installation team fixed a Triple E Erail track directly to the concrete ceiling. We then suspended the divider drape from the track.
To prevent sound from escaping above the drape, we installed a short pelmet using the same fabric combination.
For the fixed drapes, we installed timber battens all around and attached the drapes using velcro. This helped all form an acoustic seal over the apertures.
Both ourselves and our track partner, Triple E, donated materials to the project as a sign of our support for the crucial work Bold Tendencies do to widen access to the arts.
