FLOORING IN VISITOR ATTRACTIONS
A £68.7m REDEVELOPMENT has transformed Paisley Museum with a striking design by architects AL_A.
Junckers’ solid oak floors were fitted throughout the museum’s galleries, forming ‘a durable and elegant backdrop’ to the exhibits which will be added later this year.
The installation follows another project for Junckers – the award-winning Perth Museum where Junckers’ Oak plank flooring forms part of what’s described as a beautifully restored interior.
With a spectacular curved entrance in red glass and panoramic extension the building is a dynamic, inviting part of the busy High Street. The A-listed main building and Coats Observatory have been updated and future-proofed thanks to extensive external and internal works to reveal refreshed, modern galleries on every floor with double the amount of available space to showcase the museum’s significant collections.
Set to attract thousands of visitors every year, the museum needed a robust, hardwearing floor.
Says the company: ‘Junckers’ 22 mm Oak Harmony two-strip flooring proved ideal – not only does it bring a warm, natural feel to the large spaces, the solid hardwood floor is set to last for generations with the right care and maintenance, and it will only get more beautiful with age.
‘Should it need to be refurbished, it can be sanded and refinished up to 10 times to bring it back to as-new condition. Junckers two-strip flooring offers a more expressive, livelier look than plank flooring. Each floorboard is made from two strips of oak, showcasing the colour variations and structural grain patterns that are naturally present in the timber.’
Continues the company: ‘Junckers’ approved flooring contractor McGarry Flooring undertook the installation which included fitting cast iron heating grills in the floor. Full floorboards surround every grill which required a carefully executed plan to ensure continuity.
‘The floors are sealed with Junckers’ hardwearing HT700 Floor Lacquer in an ultra matt finish, a water-based, two-component lacquer ideal for the heavy foot traffic expected at a museum. The lacquer and the flooring carry the Danish Indoor Climate label, certifying there are no chemical substances that will adversely affect the air quality.’
The transformation of the museum forms the culmination of a decade of investment in Paisley funded by Renfrewshire Council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland, the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and fundraising from donors and benefactors.
Several buildings part of the refurbishment programme have been fitted with Junckers flooring, including Paisley Town Hall, Paisley Central Library and the new state-of-the-art Paisely Grammar School Community Campus which is set of open later this year.
www.junckers.co.uk
