Optima ceiling canopies fitted in school hall

Optima canopies from Armstrong Ceilings have been installed at Brooksbank School in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

The school was built in 1911, with parts being extended in the early 1960s.

Certain areas of the school, including the school hall, needed to be brought up to date, but on a very tight budget.

The hall at Brooksbank School had to function as an examination hall, an assembly room, a theatre and a dining room, so the ceiling needs to be able to accommodate all of these varying acoustic demands.

The original ceiling was a barrel-shaped, timber-lined structure that was not appropriate for any of the hall's functioning purposes.

As a result of budget constraints, an entirely new ceiling was not possible; as a result, architect Peter Gallagher of Langtry Langton suggested using Armstrong canopies and painting the original ceiling above to a black finish.

The Optima canopies provided high levels of sound absorption, helping to achieve the right level of reverberation for improved intelligibility.

Meanwhile, the curved visual provided a stylish finish to the school hall.

Ceiling contractor Acorn Ceilings installed 40 Optima canopies.

The curve of the original ceiling meant that the design and positioning of the panels was crucial.

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