The impressive Rotherham Town Hall now welcomes visitors with a striking Ready to Weave carpet from Axminster Commercial. Featuring the Metropolitan Borough Council’s coat of arms as a focal point surrounded by a custom design, the bespoke Axminster was specified by Jan Armitage, Architectural Assistant, Environment and Development Services:
“We had recently used Axminster Carpets within the closely located Members Suite and when it came to refurbishing the Town Hall, I knew that Axminster could deliver upon my expectations. Of course, we not only had to consider the design of the carpet throughout all areas, but also the enduring quality demanded by the footfall expected within the building.”
Covering 1,300m2 of floor space, the two final designs were the result of extensive development work between Jan Armitage and the Axminster Commercial in-house design team. The patterns reflect the heritage of the council and compliment the interior décor of the magnificent building, while also keeping maintenance to a minimum – an important aspect in public areas. Drawing from the 32 standard colours available through the Ready to Weave concept meant that the carpet could be produced within just four weeks of order.
Installed by Pyramid Carpets of Sheffield and using a high performance 80% pure new wool 20% nylon construction for durability and appearance retention, the bespoke Axminster adorns everywhere from the impressive reception area to corridors, stairways, chambers and private rooms:
“For public areas we developed a striking black colourway with gold swirls overlaid for a modern feel, and in the reception area and chambers the crest of the council acts as a central motif,” continues Jan Armitage. “Within the Committee Rooms and the corridor leading to them, we have added a black border to provide added definition, while in the John Smith Room the same pattern is employed, but with a flash of red for an added dimension.”
The same gold swirls and black base surround the central coat of arms motif in the reception, with arcs of red, gold and black adding a strong contemporary influence. In fact, one of the red arcs also works to link the corridors and stairs leading to the Mayoral suite, which adopts a rich red colour and a more traditional gold swirl pattern that flows elegantly from the access areas through to the office itself.
“We are absolutely delighted with the finished result and it was a pleasure to work with the Axminster team in the development of our designs. The manufacturing lead times of the Ready to Weave concept also helped us to achieve the refurbishment within our allotted timescale, of great importance given the public and civic duties that take place within the town hall,” Concludes Jan Armitage.
