HVAC Solutions
Case Study: Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
The Client
Originally described as the best concert hall in Europe when it opened in 1849, before being destroyed by fire in 1933, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall was restored to its full art deco splendour as a concert hall and cinema in 1995 following a £10.3 million refurbishment.
An acclaimed and integral part of Liverpool’s musical and artistic life, the venue has an illustrious history of bringing the top names from rock, jazz, roots, classical and contemporary music to the city and continues to present over 250 concerts, events and films attended by over quarter of a million people each year.
The Challenge
Some two years in the planning and execution, the Hall’s 1995 refurbishment included a major modernisation programme of the 1930’s structure and the addition of a new office wing. At the time Kimpton Building Services was awarded the contract to carry out the installation of all heating and ventilation equipment. This was a demanding project that had to maintain the overall character of this famous building whilst accommodating the specific heating and ventilation requirements of a modern venue and without any noise transfer from equipment to performance areas.
Having successfully completed the refurbishment work and gained such detailed knowledge of the equipment and site requirements, Kimpton have been retained ever since to carry out the Hall’s service and maintenance contract. Separately, Kimpton’s air conditioning division has also successfully tendered for some recent project work.
The Solution
A rolling planned preventative maintenance (PPM) programme sees Kimpton perform twice yearly checks of all building services plant, augmented by call-outs to unforeseen breakdowns.
A range of equipment needs to be maintained including gas fired boilers, large air handling equipment providing heating and cooling to the auditorium, backstage and other areas throughout the site, stand alone air conditioning systems, humidifiers and other associated equipment. Kimpton engineers work closely with the Hall’s maintenance supervisor, Steve bragger, to oversee the programme.
In addition, Kimpton has also recently completed several important air conditioning installations, fitting Mitsubishi air conditioning systems within the performers’ ‘Green Room’, IT server room and Amplifier Room, where the system has been designed to prevent the 20 amplifiers that make up the main stage sound system from overheating.
