New luxury cinema to use innovative insulation technology

Luxury cinema construction is well underway all over the UK. Alongside American company Stadium Seating Enterprises and EOMAC UK Ltd., S and B EPS Ltd are providing state of the art DryFit PREFoam Stadium Seating Riser System solutions for the expansion of the auditoria seating areas.

Located in the heart of Sheffield’s ‘The Moor’ shopping district, the latest project will accommodate a number of new shops and restaurants as well as becoming host to a brand new, nine screen multiplex cinema. In an area currently undergoing significant re-development, the aim is to provide an opulent social hub.

With every seat designed to be extra wide with a generous amount of legroom, CEO of Light Cinemas, Keith Pullinger, prioritises customer comfort, well formulated sightlines and good disabled access.

It was crucial to specify a rapid, yet robust method of construction for the expansion of the auditoria seating areas and Stadium Seating Enterprises’ innovative DryFit PREFoam Stadium Riser System, installed by EOMAC Ltd and locally sourced and manufactured by S and B EPS, proves to be the perfect solution.

Weighing an average of half a kilo per cubic foot and supplied in various thickness, the modular polystyrene blocks are 100% recyclable and extremely lightweight, therefore keeping manual handling to a minimum.

So that they can be easily manoeuvred through pedestrian doorways and areas still undergoing construction, pre-engineered and pre-fabricated EPS insulation is supplied cut to size.

In order to minimize downtime of the theatre and maximize efficiency of the installation, the polystyrene foam blocks are delivered per auditorium and are coordinated with the installation crew at EOMAC on site for just-in-time delivery schedule. Stadium Seating Enterprises prepared and supplied a full set of detailed shop drawings to the installing contractor so they are aware of the intended location for each piece of EPS block.

Because of the geometry of the blocks, the weight is distributed evenly across the surface and no point load is achieved – a great plus on these types of schemes. Installation couldn’t be simpler with the pre-numbered blocks slotting together like a jigsaw puzzle. The insulation is then encapsulated in two layers of 18mm plywood, ready to accept the finished flooring surface.

EOMAC alongside Stadium seating Enterprises, manufactured by S and B EPS, has now brought this technology to the UK. S and B’s managing Director Darren Smith said that this is a very exciting project for S and B EPS to be involved in, as stadia seating, technology used in the United States for a number of years, is brought to the UK.

The Light Cinema, Sheffield, is due to open its doors in Spring 2017.