Knauf AMF brings Sonic precision to new leisure centre

Knauf AMF Ceilings have supplied precision ceiling solutions to the new Knowsley Sports Park on Merseyside as part of a £16.1million project. Designed by Broadway Malyan, the new 6,600m2 complex will provide a range of leisure and cultural facilities for the local community. Architect Ivor Phillips commented on their choice of ceiling specification: “We chose Knauf AMF because they produced a wide range of products which suited the range of environments, design aesthetics and acoustic performance requirements we wanted to achieve.” This included the installation of 20 Knauf AMF Thermatex Sonic Sky rafts to provide a stylish and effective acoustic solution within the new 120-station fitness suite and the two dance studios, where they help to optimise the acoustics in these noisy areas. Ivor added: “We found Knauf AMF to be extremely helpful during the design and specification stage, as well as attending site to ensure the contractors were comfortable with the installation methods for the ceiling rafts.” Ruta Makunaite of Precise Partitions, who carried out the installations, explained further: “The Sonic Sky rafts had to be fitted around pre-installed fan coil units, which meant the rafts had to be manufactured with precise cuts to work around them. We were impressed with the service from Knauf AMF as each raft fitted perfectly, needing no additional adjustments. This made installation much simpler for us, and the finished result looks superb.” Knauf AMF’s Thermatex Sonic Sky rafts are designed to work with today’s modern architecture, where the trend is towards hard acoustically reflective materials such as glass, steel and concrete. There is often limited space available to create a comfortable acoustic environment. Thermatex Sonic Sky rafts offer flexible and stylish solutions in a wide range of shapes and colours. The rafts consist of a Thermatex ceiling panel in a supporting frame. The acoustic panels have a high quality fleece-coated face, and the system is designed to be easy to install with semi-concealed hangers providing an elegant floating appearance. Additional ceiling solutions included Knauf AMF Thermatex Thermaclean S tiles to meet high hygiene levels for the kitchen and toilets and the entrance to the pools, while Thermatex Fine Stratos tiles give a clean, contemporary finish for the changing rooms. The meeting rooms and certain corridors required a higher degree of sound attenuation and around 800m2 of Thermatex Acoustic dB41 tiles were installed to these areas.