When it comes to ballet, precision and grace are everything, and these qualities extend beyond the dance floor to the spaces where dancers practice and perfect their skills.
The Royal Ballet School, located in the beautiful surroundings of Richmond Park, Surrey, is renowned not just for its world-class ballet training, but also for its commitment to providing an environment that fosters excellence. Recently, the school contacted The Shutter Studio in need of a window solution for their White Lodge studios that could deliver on functionality and look elegant in their surroundings.
Understanding the brief
The Royal Ballet School first contacted The Shutter Studio to discuss their requirements with our West London manager, Matt. “Our studios become quite hot in the summer due to their positioning in our grounds, so we needed a cost-effective solution to resolve this. We also needed to create more consistent lighting for the filming we conduct at the school throughout the year. While the studio is relatively new, we wanted to ensure the look and design of the blinds were in keeping with this historic site”, explains Lee Sells, Site Services Manager at The Royal Ballet School.
The studio also had ten windows that varied in size and shape, some of which were arched. So, it was important we matched the ballet school’s requirements with the right product.
The decision to go electric
Following discussions with The Royal Ballet School, electric roller blinds were chosen for the project to provide an efficient solution to control light and privacy in the studio. Fabric samples were sent to the school to allow them to select the best shade. A light-filtering white sheer fabric was chosen due to its ability to diffuse harsh sunlight and prevent the studio from becoming too hot, without sacrificing on natural light in the room and Lee and the team were thrilled with the results. The white shade was also preferred so it could seamlessly blend in with the white studio walls.
As well as its light filtering qualities, The Shutter Studio also recommended the blinds incorporate a “foil-back”. This would enhance the reflective surface of the blinds even further to help with temperature control and create the ideal ambience for filming.
Elegant electric blinds delivered
The Shutter Studio maintained communication with The Royal Ballet School throughout the project to ensure they were kept up to date with the project timeline. Visits were also meticulously planned so as not to disrupt classes and to allow time to document all the necessary measurements, in preparation for the installation phase. The team’s work was recognised by the school: “From start to finish the process was seamless, from our initial site visit and quotation to payment and install”.
The team fitted the blinds to all ten windows in a day, including installing the blinds to the lower part of the arched windows. The result? The electric roller blinds exceeded the client’s expectations, delivering on functionality and style. They significantly improved privacy, and light control and helped regulate the temperature in the room to create a comfortable space for The Royal Ballet School’s dancers and staff. Furthermore, they also made for a stylish and elegant addition to the studio that perfectly complemented the age of the building.
The successful installation at The Royal Ballet School is a testament to The Shutter Studio’s expertise and commitment to excellence.
“After seeking multiple quotes and site visits, The Shutter Studio seemed like the best option, and I was not disappointed,” Lee said. “The staff in the office were on hand to send out samples of fabrics and answer any questions we had. As a charity, finding a cost-effective solution was also very important to us. I would 100% recommend The Shutter Studio.”
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