Textile ducting does not disturb performances at Courtyard Theatre
Ventilation for the temporary theatre of the Courtyard Theatre of the Royal Shakespeare Company is provided by fabric ducting supplied by Euro Air UK. This high-quality theatre enables performances to continue during the refurbishment of the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres in Stratford-upon-Avon. Speed and ease of installation were key considerations for consulting engineers King Shaw Associates. Other requirements were for ventilation to be delivered quietly and with no draughts. Doug King of King Shaw says, ‘It was a project that demanded flexible and fast suppliers if it was to maintain programme and budget. Euro-Air’s fabric ducting was an obvious choice precisely because it is so flexible and fast.’ Made in a special colour to complement the theatre’s decor, the 150 m of half-round permeable fabric ducting follows the horseshoe shape of the theatre seating, suspended from the undersides of two balconies. The ducts are immediately above seats, so the air has to enter the space at very low velocity to avoid draughts. The actual velocity is 1 cm/s. An additional ventilation system feeds supply air to a floor void at ground level to provide displacement ventilation.
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