StoSilent Panel Alu Acoustic System Specified For New Hepworth Art Gallery İn Wakefield

The Hepworth, Wakefield, yet to be completed, is already a landmark building with a façade constructed of pigmented concrete. Set to open its doors to the public in May 2011 The Hepworth, Wakefield, will show art works by Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, as well as a programme of changing exhibitions by contemporary artists.

The seamless, suspended, acoustic system, StoSilent Panel, has been specified for use in the Hepworth, Wakefield, the new art gallery designed by David Chipperfield Architects, named in honour of twentieth century artist Barbara Hepworth.

The StoSilent Panel is specifically designed to cope with high humidity environments and the plenum ceilings, used in areas that are subject to increased air movement, allow for air circulation, making it perfect for application in the gallery’s café area. Providing the necessary monolithic finish and excellent acoustic properties, the StoSilent Panel system also prevents staining due to air filtration in humid rooms.

Nick Hill, of David Chipperfield, explains, “As the acoustic system is installed in a lively cafe space with many hard surfaces, it was critical that we could achieve the level of sound absorption that the Sto system offered. The StoSilent Panel Alu system was specified because we required a smooth, seamless finish for the ceiling and did not want the standard perforated systems that would be more difficult to coordinate with the irregular shape of the room. Equally it was important for us that the ceiling treatment appeared consistent with ceilings elsewhere in the building.”

Applicator, Matthew Buckmaster of Aztec Solutions, comments, “We regularly use Sto products as they perform well and are often specified at the very early project stages. The system is installed onto a rigid metal grid suspended ceiling frame which is hung from the concrete soffit. The boards are then fixed to the metal grid, incorporating light troughs every two metres.”

The StoSilent Panel Alu suspended ceiling system is made from 15mm thick rigid acoustic board, manufactured from 96% recycled glass granulate and is finished with the fibre free, acoustically transparent coating, StoSilent Superfein.