SILENT SHADE + THE CALILE HOTEL, BRISBANE

ISSUE 66 MAY 2019

Silent Shade was recently tasked with providing much needed shading solutions to reduce glare at one of Brisbane’s high profile hospitality and retail developments. WFA reports.

The Calile Hotel in Fortitude Valley Brisbane is a boutique style contemporary hotel and shopping offering with a highend, artisanal ambience.

“The brief for this project really was a challenge,” says Silent Shade Director Tony Hopkins. “Afternoon sun rendered the lobby bar, restaurant and retail shops unbearable after one p.m. The client particularly wanted single blinds in each opening, however some of these measured over 9.5 metres wide. In addition the architect specified the single blinds were to be installed 300mm down from the ceiling and 200mm narrower than the posts on the sides, to create the illusion of the blinds floating in the space. The blinds were to be automated to come down as the sun reached the base of the restaurant glazing.”

The product selected to meet the brief’s requirements was the Silent Shade MDock cable guide roller blind, he confirms.

“The system is adaptable to many situations, including wide widths. We used the Silent Shade 105 mm roller tube to span the widths, combined with the system’s extruded Aluminium base rail that generously weighs 1.7 kg per metre unweighted. MDock’s brackets and base fittings are manufactured from high performance structural 2205 and premium 316 marine grade stainless steel. They are one system covering many installation combinations; slim and compact base fittings, multiple adjustment and hold down features, superior cable tensioning and simplified installation.”

“The fabric used is Sunbrella 100% Acrylic, colour Basil, with a total of 140 metres of fabric used. We used Somfy RTS motors, Chronis remote timer, wind sensors and sun sensors to provide multiple operation capabilities.”

Despite the small number of blinds installed, Hopkins confirms the project still carried serious scale.

“The project consisted of only six blinds, however combined they cover 45 metres in width and 120 square metres in area. Four of the blinds are 7.5 metres wide, one is 5.7 metres and one a massive 9.1 metres wide.”

In terms of special challenges or requirements for the project, sheer width was the key challenge, he says. “The extrusions are 6.6 metres wide, a lot narrower than the blinds. We had to join the tubes and base rails, one of the Silent Shade 105mm tube’s unique features is it can be sleeved with a 78mm tube, enabling us to create a strong join. Due to the finished blind widths, the extended roller tube needed support to eliminate deflection. We designed and built stainless steel intermediate roller brackets to cradle the blinds in the centre, and the brackets are adjustable to tune the amount of support needed. They each feature seven nylon rollers, all mounted with premium roller bearings.”

The client’s response to the project was overwhelmingly positive, he says.

“The solution met the brief one hundred per cent. The restaurant staff were ecstatic the moment the first blind was lowered. No more sunglasses while serving customers! The client is very happy with the outcome. Before the blinds were installed they were losing valuable business due to the discomfort caused by sun and heat.”

“The silent Shade system is extremely versatile and refined in appearance,” says Hopkins. “The zip channel variation was also used internally in 185 hotel rooms at the Calile. The system was custom Anodized, matching the hotel’s window suite, the channels affectively integrate with the window frames to become invisible, and combined with internal blockout fabric created a seamless blackout environment. The internal blinds were manufactured by Verosol Australia and supplied and installed by KWA blinds in Brisbane.”

Silent Shade’s system is designed for application in multiple end uses. The refined finishes enable premium internal and external applications, including:

  • Internal roller blinds
  • Internal blackout roller blinds
  • External cable guide system
  • External zip system
  • 115 and 150 mm headbox options for both internal and external

All variations will be on display on the Silent Shade trade stand at the 2019 Super Expo.

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