Talking point

Specifying the flooring is a major aspect of the design or refurbishment of any convention centre. The sheer size of the promenade areas and conference rooms, the large amount of foot traffic and the need for a warm, welcoming decor all have a significant bearing on flooring selection.

These factors influenced the choice of a customised Feltex woven carpet for the new Sky City Convention Centre, featured on these pages. The carpet, designed with architects Craig Craig Moller Auckland, was constructed with a shorter-than-usual pile height. Combined with a heavier-than-normal weight, this results in a very dense carpet that is able to withstand heavy commercial usage up to 18 hours per day, says Feltex Carpets NZ commercial sales manager Loraine Lovering.

"The carpet design was also influenced by aesthetics," she says. "The carpet had to look good in both the promenade and break-out areas, as well as in the 120m² conference rooms."

Lovering says the six-metre double-height space further challenged the requirement for the carpet to be a strong design element.

"Sky City also needed to be able to set up and change the room configurations quickly, so a barely discernable grid was built into the design. This enables the centre to lay out the furniture easily."

The design has a minimal colour palette and a simple, but strong pattern.

Lovering says the carpet is proving to be very successful, not just aesthetically, but also in concealing tracking and wine and food stains.

Feltex carpets for the hospitality industry are designed to retain their looks. They are also designed for ease of maintenance and incorporate flame retardants.

For details of your nearest distributor, contact Feltex Carpets, PO Box 2884, Auckland, phone (09) 379 1910. Website: www.feltexcommercial.com.

Story by: Trendsideas