PROJECTS
Aesthetic appeal was further enhanced by adding sustainable materials that protect the paintings and the museum.
ceilings and partitioning specialists
Scheltema, the museum was completed in
September 2017 and incorporates 12
different wall systems designed for bespoke
and complex project needs. These span
from displaying heavy artworks on triple
volume walls, to protecting valuable pieces
of art from fire and moisture and managing
acoustics between different exhibition
areas – all while preserving the integrity of
the original heritage structure from which
the museum was refurbished.
The project
Developers, V&A Waterfront, required
materials that are light weight yet offer high
strength. “This enhances visual appeal
while adding practical value. Cost
efficiency, superior acoustics, aesthetics
and strident fire ratings were critical to the
success of this project,” Thompson says.
Art features in the set up and construction
of the museum. The rooftop sculpture
garden comprises Saint Gobain’s multi-
layered laminated glass. It has a
magnificent panoramic 360-degree view
with a Roof top Bar and pool. “The glass
lights up the show stopping atrium. The
developer wanted to incorporate art into
the building fabric, so he commissioned El
Loko from Togo in West Africa to emboss his
new cosmic alphabet pattern onto our Lite-
Floor Xtra Grip Glass Solution,”
Thompson shares.
The nine floors feature 80 art galleries
with Gyproc Cretestone installed and used
to finish drywalls and ceilings throughout.
“The Acoustician, SRL, required a sensory
glasswool absorption break therefore all
walkway ceilings between the 8O art gallery
rooms have Isovers energylite installed
above the Gyproc plasterboard flush
plastered ceilings allowing for noise
absorption,” she says, adding that intricate
quality workmanship and precision were
required to deliver, “These 80 white
gallery cubes.”
Getting it right
Maintaining the integrity of a 96-year-old
building while converting it into a sp ace fit
for purpose can be challenging, especially
when the client insists on not treating the
structure externally so as not to alter its
aesthetic appeal. Internally they faced a
similar challenge, they had to seamlessly
marry the old structure with the new.
“Triple volume rooms and 23-metre-high
drylining meant ceiling installation
required extensive scaffolding – this meant
additional time and logistics planning.
Changes in layout resulted in full
reskimming of the Gyproc Cretestone walls.
RESIDENTIAL // COMMERCIAL // INDUSTRIAL
JULY 2018
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