The Francis Crick Institute aims to be a world-leading centre of biomedical research and innovation. The building, which was completed in August 2016, has taken five years to complete and will be home to up to 1,500 research staff, when fully occupied. It also boasts some 12,560m² dedicated laboratory space, 1,700 m² of rooftop solar panels and a BREEAM excellent award in design and procurement.

Working with HOK architects and main contractor Laing O’Rourke, sub-contracted to EE Smith, Style was specified to install a moveable partitioning wall in the main auditorium of this remarkable building.

Perfectly adaptable to a tiered room layout, the Skyfold vertically-rising, fully automatic, acoustic moveable wall, was the only option for dividing the main auditorium. Due to the sheer size of the room, three Skyfold units were used to create a single wall. Living up to their reputation for attention to detail, Style ensured that not only the lines of the veneer matched perfectly across the Skyfolds but also with the surrounding fixed walls too. The speed and efficiency with which the units divide the auditorium delivers flexibility to the space and, when not in use, they occupy zero floor space and are virtually invisible.

“This is without doubt a showcase installation for Style,” said Julian Sargent, Style’s group managing director. “The complexity of a stepped auditorium was easily accommodated by the Skyfold partitioning system, with automatic rubber expansion seals making an acoustically perfect join along each separate stair.”