Improving acoustic clarity in a specialist healthcare environment
Kirkland & Ellis is an international law firm with 1100 lawyers located in London, Munich, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC. In London, Kirkland occupies more than 33,000 square feet of space in the landmark building, commonly known as ‘the Gherkin’, in the heart of the financial district.The 40-story skyscraper was […]
Kirkland & Ellis is an international law firm with 1100 lawyers located in London, Munich, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC.
In London, Kirkland occupies more than 33,000 square feet of space in the landmark building, commonly known as ‘the Gherkin’, in the heart of the financial district.The 40-story skyscraper was designed by Foster and Partners, who are also responsible for the design of the London Millennium Bridge and City Hall, headquarters of the Greater London Authority.
Working with main contractors, Collins Construction, and architects Pringle Brandon Perkins & Will, Style was specified to provide flexible meeting areas on level 22 of this impressive building.
Skyfold was chosen to combine with a glass moveable wall; the glass wall sourced specifically by Style for this installation to precisely match another partitioning wall installed 11 years previously.
“Skyfold is an incredible moveable wall solution,” said Julian Sargent, Style’s group managing director. “As a fully automatic, vertically rising, acoustic partitioning wall system it is housed discreetly in the ceiling cavity, therefore taking up no floor space whatsoever when not in use.
“It then glides quietly and effortlessly into place at the push of a button, and for Kirkland and Ellis this ‘classic’ model, in a chic Knoll Bollywood textile finish, delivered acoustics of 51dB Rw, although the Skyfold range extends all the way to 59dB which is virtual soundproofing.
“As the requirement was also to match a glass partitioning wall installed over a decade ago, we also sourced and installed a bespoke glass wall solution for Kirkland and Ellis so that the new meeting area matched the others perfectly.
“The end result looked stunning. The glass providing lots of light and a blend of openness and privacy, and the Skyfold acting as a real showpiece for clients as well as being hugely practical.”
Talk to us about your acoustic goals — we’ll help you design a solution that sounds as good as it looks.
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HBN 00-09 sets out these surface characteristics because unsealed joints are a recognised place for moisture and micro-organisms to collect. A genuinely joint-free edge is designed to address that specific detail.
This is a surface and edge specification, not a clinical claim. Zero-joint technology has not been evaluated or certified by NHS England, and does not claim to reduce infection rates.
Food-service and guest-facing areas are typically inspected under hygiene and housekeeping standards that look closely at surfaces and joints. A seamless, moisture-resistant edge is designed with exactly that kind of scrutiny in mind.
Every one of these sectors shares the same underlying surface problem: a bonded-strip edge is a seam, and a seam is a place where dirt, moisture or wear can concentrate in a way a continuous surface can't. Zero-joint technology addresses that one structural detail across offices, schools, healthcare and hospitality settings alike — one construction detail, one shared weak point removed, four sectors that each care about it for their own reasons.
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