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The Village Hall at Cranleigh was built in recognition of those who lost their lives in the Great War. Opened on 3rd May 1933 by Sir Gerald Chadwyck-Healey, the 400 seat hall provided the local residents with an essential community facility whilst keeping the memory of those that sacrificed so much in mind.
The village hall has undertaken many renovations and upgrades through the years to keep up with changing standards and modern technology, the last refurbishment taking place in 2024 where new toilets, a new stage, modern lighting and audio equipment have been installed. Cranleigh Village Hall are also pleased to announce the opening of their new commercial kitchen and community bar areas, providing an even greater resource for their users.
Part of the scheme of works was to address the poor acoustics within the hall itself. The large, open area made up of hard, acoustically reflective surfaces was causing issues with excessive reverberation and echo that was affecting the users. A specification for a ‘spray on’ foam treatment on the ceiling had been recommended but councillors were concerned about covering up the decorative features.
Parish Clerk, Beverley Bell, contacted acoustic specialists Sound Reduction Systems (SRS) with a view to finding an alternative solution to the problem. SRS Director Alex Docherty attended site and, after discussions with council staff, came up with a proposal using suspended circular panels that could be spaced out in accordance with the councils layout preference but also retained the decorative elements of the ceiling behind. As well as the practical benefits, SRS were also able to supply and install the panels at half the cost of the spray treatment.
The installation itself proved quite challenging with restrictions on where the panels could be fixed and also the requirement to work alongside other trades on site to ensure that the date for the handover was met. In total, SRS suspended 67No. of their 1200mm diameter Sonata Halo absorbers from the ceiling and installed 23No. of their 1200 x 1200mm Sonata Vario panels on the walls – both offering Class A absorption.
Following the installation, Beverley commented:
“I went to the Royal Albert Hall for the 40th anniversary of Ghostbusters and they used their acoustic panels to project shapes and colours and I think our interpretation looks fab!”
Marc Scully, Chairman of Cranleigh Parish Council also commented:
"When dealing with an important community asset it was imperative that we, Cranleigh Parish Council, looked for a solution which removed the sound reverberation challenges the hall possessed, partly due to its 'barrel' ceiling but also accommodated the need to be sympathetic to the buildings original design and fabric.
SRS worked in a consultative way through the whole project, being flexible in their plans and timings to fit in with other trades, always polite and punctual and have delivered a solution which has already attracted so many positive comments from the public, musicians and also an opera singer!
I would be happy to discuss any aspect of our project with anyone considering acoustic remedies, and can honestly say we are delighted with the results and the 'new' look village hall SRS have delivered to Cranleigh."
If you have a noise issue in your village / community hall, scout hut, school hall, or in any large, open area, please get in touch to see how SRS can help with soundproofing and sound absorption. You can fill in our simple 3 Step Estimator form by clicking here. The 3 Step Estimator works within your mobile device, so you can upload the pictures and information directly from site, if required. Alternatively, you can just email or whatsapp us with the room dimensions and a few pictures of the ceiling and walls in the room.
