J&C Joel was proud to be the drapery provider for the Whitworth, The University of Manchester.
The Whitworth, founded in 1898, was the first English gallery located in a park and has since been transformed by a £15 million development. The gallery is part of The University of Manchester and has a long history of working creatively with schools.
J&C Joel supplied a substantial 96 acoustic panels to the gallery to improve the acoustics, masking and blackout properties within two of their rooms.
For the first room, displaying the work of, Steve McQueen: Ashes via a projection screen, 80 acoustic panels were manufactured from wooden frames, 40 measuring 1.2m by 0.6m and another 40 measuring 2.4m by 0.6m. J&C Joel manufactured the face fabric for the panels from their dark grey double sided Deko Molton (DEK034), this fabric was ideal for the cinematic room due to its masking and blackout properties which created a dark atmosphere, for the art to be most effectively viewed.
The acoustic panels were then interlined with natural Heavy Cotton Bump (INT002) to add acoustic value and reduce the level of noise within the room. Finally, the panels were filled with Rockwool on-site to absorb sound and ensure that the acoustics within the room were crisp and clear.
Next, J&C Joel produced 16 acoustic panels for another room within the gallery, portraying Maeve Brennan’s work similarly via a projection screen, this time the wooden frames for the panels measured 2.0m by 1.2m. The face fabric for the panels were manufactured from J&C Joel’s black Deko Molton (DEK051) which has effective masking and blackout properties ensuring the room remained pitch black. These were also interlined with natural Heavy Cotton Bump (INT002) and filled with Rockwool on-site to add acoustic properties to the panels and therefore increase the desired acoustics within the room only.
Justin Walsh, J&C Joel’s UK Sales Executive, commented on the project: “It was a substantial project but one in which the results were outstanding to see. Working with the Whitworth was a pleasure and I feel this job showcases the different kind of jobs J&C Joel are able to do with their drapery.”
