Movable Acoustic Walls and Sliding Folding Partition Systems Case Study

Trent Bridge

 

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Trent Bridge, the home of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, is a world famous cricketing landmark. According to Scyld Berry, editor of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, it ‘is the most handsome of England’s Test grounds’. It now hosts more than 17,000 people and is regularly sold out for Test and One-day Internationals, as well as offering many other facilities to visitors and guests from around Nottingham and further afield.

The ground’s £8.5m development project expanded the capacity of Trent Bridge and improved facilities for both players and spectators. The new floodlights and the Bridgford Road Stand helped bring the ICC World 20Twenty to Trent Bridge in 2009 and the Clydesdale Bank 40 floodlit matches. An additional £1.5 million has been invested to upgrade the corporate facilities. Acoustic movable walls were suggested by Maber Architects who have been involved in every major redevelopment at Trent Bridge in recent years including the iconic award winning Fox stand which can be seen from the hospitality suites.

Brockhouse were specified to design, manufacture and install the acoustic movable walls, not least because they are   stadium specialists with their own UK manufacturing facility just a few miles from the ground.

Brockhouse are the longest established supplier of movable acoustic walls in the UK, they were able to ensure that the bespoke specification was tailored for the clients needs. Included in the £85k contract were 14 screens from the series 600 individual panel system, which have a laboratory acoustic rating of Rw51dB and the onsite acoustic test achieved Dntw 46dB, easily exceeding the clients requirements. Each screen is 5.8m wide and 2.8m high, with rockwool and plasterboard acoustic baffles. The screens are supported from steel beams with additional reinforced steel wall posts.  Brockhouse created special surfaces with two types of formica laminate, with plain colour one side plus horizontal grain wood effect on the reverse to match entrance doors and timber walls. Every screen can be moved discreetly into a recess.

Acoustic movable walls:

Client feedback

Derek Brewer, the Chief Executive at Trent Bridge: ‘It is a hugely impressive system, quick and easy to reconfigure. It is already playing a key role in establishing Trent Bridge as one of the premier grounds for test matches and other major cricketing events’.

Michael Temple, Head of Marketing & Communications at Trent Bridge said,  “The acoustic movable walls provide the flexibility and privacy for regular ‘out of office’ meetings, events, conferences, exhibitions, Christmas parties and even wakes, as well as enabling guests to be close up to the action on match days. During the recent India Test match the corporate hospitality suites were really put to the test and worked very well, surpassing people’s expectations”.

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