INDUSTRIAL ACOUSTICS COMPANY BUILDS GRAND FOYER OPERABLE WALLS
FOR HONG KONG'S CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTER
CROWN COLONY TURNED OVER TO CHINA IN SUMMER CEREMONY
To serve the special needs of the Trade Development Counsel (TDC),
operators of the the extension to the Hong Kong Convention and
Exhibition Center, Industrial Acoustics Company (IAC) designed
and delivered the Grand Foyer Noise-Lock Pivot Walls in accordance
with the specifications of Wong and Ouyang (HK) Ltd. and the Chicago
Office of Skidmore, Owens and Merrill, Inc., the project's architects.
The Center housed the ceremony for the Handover of Britain's Crown
Colony to China.
The importance
of the walls is highlighted by the fact that IAC erected and tested
a full scale Pivot Panel in its Bronx, NY plant prior to shipment.
Owner and architect representatives from Hong Kong traveled to
New York to witness the test and approve the Pivot Wall design
and operation. The concept of motorized, pivotal, interconnecting
walls is distinctive and unique. However, Industrial Acoustics
Company, an international leader in noise control, headquartered
in New York City, had a 48-year-long history of providing exceptional,
"One-of-a-kind" doors, walls, silencers and other acoustical
products.
The installation
consists of four, pivoting, interconnecting walls, each about
6 meters wide by 10m high (20 x 33 ft), that close to form a large
acoustic wall, approximately 24 meters (79 ft) wide by 10 meters
high. The walls are electrically operated; a control panel is
located adjacent to the wall in the operator's closet. The operator,
with a push of a button, can open and close the Pivot Walls in
30 seconds. The Noise-Lock Pivot Wall separates and provides passages
to and from the pre-function area overlooking Hong Kong Harbor
and the convention area, one of the largest in Asia.
There are
three programmed positions: 90 degrees open, 45 degrees open and
closed. The top and bottom boots operate automatically when the
doors are activated acoustically sealing the panel at the floor
and ceiling: A pressure-sensitive safety edge, located along the
vertical sides of the pivot panels, upon contact with an obstacle,
will automatically stop them from moving.
Alvin Leung
of IAC Hong Kong was responsible for coordinating the plans created
by designers in the IAC Architectural Department in the United
States. The Pivot Walls were constructed in IAC's plant in the
Bronx, NY and shipped to Hong Kong. The Hong Kong company handled
the final installation including the electrical wiring, the drive
and control panel system.
IAC has more
than 50 years experience in the design and manufacture of a wide
range of noise control and acoustical control product/ systems
including Sound Isolation Rooms/Enclosures, Walls, Doors, Windows
and Silencers for HVAC Systems, Jet Aircraft, Airports and Power
Plants. IAC has subsidiaries in England, Germany and representatives
in major cities worldwide
IAC Visionwall
Glass Barrier
Designed to Resist Typhoon Force Winds
IAC-HK designed
and IAC, Bronx, NY constructed a Visionwall barrier for the Hong
Kong Housing Authority. The barrier is constructed of laminated
safety glass and aluminum mullions on steel supports.
Hong Kong
is a city of beautiful vistas and dense traffic. Many tall buildings
exist adjacent to busy highways and railways. Shielding the buildings
from transportation noise while allowing pedestrians using walkways
and plazas an unobstructed view of the scenery is a common problem.
This glass, aluminum and steel barrier with a cantilevered top
edge provides noise abatement for pedestrian and upper level apartments.
The color matched panels blend with the architectural scheme of
the project. The wall was designed to resist high lateral pressure
from Pacific Ocean Typhoon force winds. Glass panes will provide
long service life without scratching or yellowing from exposure
to UV rays.
