Case Study

Andrews Ventilation assist the renovation of a listed theatre building

When the York Theatre Royal closed its doors in March 2015 to complete a major renovation project, it was originally expected to reopen ahead of the Christmas pantomime season. However, an extraordinary discovery by archaeologists – the foundations of a large hospital built in the Middle Ages – meant that construction was delayed.

The application itself was a Grade II listed building and had not been refurbished since the 1960s, despite retaining much popularity among people in the county. Several parts of the facility required improvement, including enlarging the entrance foyer, modernising stalls and adding a new roof to replace ageing tiles.

All work was undertaken within a relatively enclosed space and this could have been dangerous for those operating on site had necessary precautions not been taken. The use of power tools within the building had created harmful exhaust fumes and high amounts of dust. It is absolutely imperative that these are extracted from the air to help technicians proceed safely without interruption.

One of our local experts conducted a thorough assessment of the premises and was able to propose a ventilation hire solution based on his findings. Our solution was to deploy four ASF950 fans around the auditorium to improve air circulation, and these were accompanied by two large FV900 units which removed potentially hazardous fumes and dust from the atmosphere.

The equipment we provided remained on hire for more than seven months while the theatre’s interior was completely transformed. Our client was very pleased with the suitability of our ventilation fans which enabled an iconic structure to be upgraded without further disruption.

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