Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff

Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff

Client: Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
Contractor: Davis Langdon
Type of works: supply and installation of 20 Rockfon Eclipse ceiling islands.

At the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, the design of the students union bar and restaurant areas included exposed concrete soffits and glass partitions. The students frequently use the bar for live performances and it became apparent that additional acoustic absorption was necessary. After Rockfon’s technical department had provided the results of a reverberation test, it was decided to carry out a retrofit utilising 20 Rockfon Eclipse ceiling islands to reduce the echo and unwanted noise in these busy areas.

Paul Lancastle, Project Manager for Davis Langdon, said: “The Students Union bar is obviously a very popular meeting place, with high noise levels at busy times. Installing Rockfon ceiling islands enabled us to significantly enhance the acoustics. The improvement is quite remarkable and was instantly noticeable.”

Rockfon Eclipse ceiling islands are manufactured from stone wool resin-bonded mineral wool. Their design is ideal for thermal-mass applications as it allows the air to circulate freely whilst absorbing sound from both sides of the panel. They allow full exploitation of the acoustic islands’ principle, whilst minimising the number of islands required to achieve the desired performance.

Rockfon Eclipse is available in square or rectangular formats to offer a solution to any kind of room configuration. The frameless island has a minimalistic sharp-looking edge underlined by a subtle and elegant bevel. The smooth, White surface is long-lasting and ensures a perfect reflection of light and heat.

In addition, they offer exceptional dimensional stability, even in up to 100% humidity. Key performance features of fire resistance and hygiene are superior to any other comparable materials, with a non-hygroscopic surface that offers no sustenance to harmful micro-organisms.

As the National Conservatoire of Wales, the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama provides specialist practical and performance-based training in music, acting, theatre design and stage management.

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