Viceroy Jumeirah Village ... a key project.

Prestigious projects like the Viceroy Jumeirah Village, Bollywood theme park, and Aloft hotel have chosen Saint-Gobain Gyproc to provide partition systems that meet high acoustic standards.

High-performance partition, lining and panel systems from Saint-Gobain Gyproc have been chosen to meet the demanding acoustic standards of several iconic projects in the region. 

Among the latest projects  that are being carried out using products from the leading manufacturer of innovative, interior building systems are the Viceroy Jumeirah Village and the Bollywood theme park in Dubai, and Aloft hotel in Al Ain, all in the UAE. 

Soaring 888 ft above the Jumeirah enclave, the new Viceroy Jumeirah Village is arguably among Dubai’s most innovative residential tower projects. It brings together over 500 five-star hotel rooms and serviced apartments in a unique 60-storey circular tower that not only boasts a choice of fine dining restaurants and state-of-the-art facilities including 271 sky-high private terrace swimming pools and individual landscaped gardens, but has been designed such that each storey rotates through 30 degrees to provide a unique vista over the Dubai skyline.

“Working closely with the consultant Atkins and Partners Overseas, and main contractor China State Construction Engineering, our acoustics experts developed a complete internal lining solution, based on the company’s lightweight metal-frame partition, walling and ceiling systems that fully met the client’s requirements in every area,” says a company spokesman.

He says different configurations of the versatile GypWall Classic partitions and GypWall Quiet (a special twin-frame acoustic separating wall) will provide effective acoustic separation between adjacent hotel rooms and apartments; while Gyproc DriLyner Basic and MF Ceilings will provide a high quality lining to structural concrete walls and soffits. Throughout the building, Aquaroc Fibre Cement Board is also being used to provide a robust backing for heavyweight marble and tile facings.

Gyproc is providing on and off-site support throughout the project to ensure the systems are installed quickly and efficiently to meet the project’s tight 20-month build programme.

Another major project in Dubai is the Bollywood theme park, where more than Dh1 million ($272,264) worth of high-performance acoustic systems and panels from Gyproc and sister company Ecophon are being used to meet the demanding acoustic standards of the project. The project, the world’s first Bollywood theme park, is part of the initial phase of the Dubai Parks and Resorts development, which is due to open shortly.

Installed by drywall subcontractor Plafond, on behalf of main contractor Al Nasr Contracting Company, the specialist acoustic systems are being used to prevent noise from the crowds of queuing visitors penetrating into the theatre area, as well as for noise control in other sensitive areas of the park.

“To meet the Rw 69 dB acoustic and 60-minute fire resistance requirement, Gyproc’s specialists drew up a specification based on GypWall Audio, a lightweight load-bearing twin-frame system originally developed specifically to meet the demanding acoustic performance standards needed to separate adjacent viewing theatres in modern multi-screen cinemas,” says the spokesman.

Elsewhere throughout the new park, a full range of Gyproc systems has been used, from Gyproc MF suspended ceilings to Gyproc ShaftWall and GypWall Quiet acoustic separating wall system. In heavy-traffic areas, enhanced acoustic performance is achieved using Ecophon Type C wall panels – which are high-density glass wool panels faced with impact-resistant fabric.

For the Aloft hotel in Al Ain, Gyproc is delivering high-performance partitions and lining systems to meet its tight construction schedule for completion later this year. The hotel, the new flagship of the Starwood Hotels Aloft brand, is aimed primarily at sporting enthusiasts, and will offer 172 rooms and two presidential suites over five storeys.

Gyproc’s GypWall Quiet, which has been installed between guest bedrooms and in corridors, easily matched the client’s 60 db sound insulation and 120-minute fire resistance specifications. Elsewhere, drywall subcontractor Asgar Fateh Technical Services utilised GypWall Classic partitions and GypLyner IWL independent linings to achieve the required 50 dB and 60-minute fire ratings for internal walls and linings. Gyproc’s ShaftWall system, which allows shaft walls to be built from one side only, was used to simplify and save time in the construction of lift and service shafts.

Gyproc’s systems, expertise and support, helped the main contractor BAM to deliver the complex project ahead of time  – which so impressed the company that it has teamed up with Gyproc again for another project within the same Al Ain development.

Meanwhile, in Oman, Gyproc is helping create luxury interiors for guests at the new 290-room W Resort Hotel for Starwood Hotels and Resorts in the capital. Gyproc wall and ceiling systems have been specified throughout the nine-storey building in Muscat to ensure high standards of acoustics and fire performance.

A demanding Rw 62dB acoustic requirement between rooms and corridors is being achieved using a single-frame GypWall Classic system in combination with Gyproc RB1 Resilient Bar to minimise wall thickness and maximise available room space for guests. Tall lobby walls have been achieved using a solution based on a structural steel framing system (SFS), whilst high quality monolithic ceilings are created using the Gyproc MF concealed grid suspended ceiling system.

Risers for MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) systems and shafts have been constructed from Gyproc’s ShaftWall system, a solution that can be constructed from one side only, enabling shafts to be created quickly and efficiently. The drywall subcontractor on the project is Zubair Furnishing.