Extra Space means Extra Drama
Discovering a whole load of space above a false ceiling is a revelation of sorts. I was lucky enough to experience this recently. The site was a male changing room of a gym and fitness centre.
A double height ceiling is an architectural element. It will always add dimensional drama. And in turn transform an ordinary space into an extraordinary one.
I was aware the grid ceiling was there to conceal a beam. But what I didn’t know was the volume of emptiness hanging there. Its form was that of a mono pitched roof also known as a lean to roof or a shed roof.
The gypsum grid tiles were dismantled and wires for were laid for lighting. In order to highlight this double heightened area, the material had to be waterproof and reflective in nature. My choice of material was polyvinyl chloride (PVC) panels mainly because of the quick installation time. Unfortunately, white high gloss panels were not available.
My second choice was aluminium composite panels (ACP). I wanted to avoid ACP as installation would have been more labour intensive and time consuming. However, there was no other alternative. Six inch strips were cut and installed over a metal framework. The original beam was incorporated into a multilevel ceiling design. The desired look was achieved. Opting for white high gloss panels enhanced the effect further.