DORMA’s revolutionary lightweight MOVEO® movable wall system has been installed at Chill Factore, the £31 million indoor ski venue and Alpine Village which recently opened in Manchester.

The two DORMA MOVEO® units were installed by specialist fit-out contractors Gariff Construction Ltd. They are located between the bar area and the main function room; and within the main function room offering further opportunities to divide this space, and providing the optimum divisibility options in these busy areas.

Steve Dickson, Director at Faulkner Browns, the architects involved on the project, comments: “We were looking for a lightweight system that effected less structural load on the building, and was easy to use. The MOVEO® system was very impressive on both counts. It was cost effective against manual systems, and the support we got from the DORMA sales operation and design team was first rate too”.

Chill Factore, located next to Manchester’s Trafford Centre, has the largest indoor real snow ski slope in Europe, covering an area of 250,000 square feet. It has two distinct environments. A ‘cold area’ that includes a luge, a snowplay area for children, and three indoor slopes with real snow that caters for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities; and an Alpine Village which includes shops, bars and restaurants, along with corporate hospitality facilities.

DORMA MOVEO® is extremely light and weighs about half that of most conventional movable walls due to its innovative construction. As a result the MOVEO® panels can be moved by anyone, quickly, accurately and effortlessly to their required location.

Once in place the ComforTronic® control system, which is provided as a standard feature, comes into play eliminating any need for the time and effort involved with manual crank mechanisms. With the ComforTronic® control, panel seals are automatically extended when two elements come into contact, eliminating any possibility of operator error. This guarantees that the wall is always securely sealed and ensures outstanding sound attenuation levels of up to 55 dB.

There is also a wide range of surface finishes available, classified into three different ‘Collections’. The Design Collection comprises high-quality, genuine wood veneers, striking metal decors and RAL-painted surfaces. The Classic Collection contains particularly hard-wearing, scratch and impact-resistant surfaces in a variety of colours, as wood reproduction, or as textured decor finishes. Further alternatives are available in the Functional Collection including write-on, magnetic and projector screen surfaces.

When it comes to stacking the MOVEO® panels, there are six alternatives, each taking up a relatively small area. This benefits the general aesthetics of the room and their light weight means there is minimal demand on the structural integrity of the building.

DORMA have recently released the MOVEO® Glass – a movable wall sharing the benefits of the original MOVEO® but now constructed with full glass panels with the option of built-in sun blinds. MOVEO® Glass panels can be combined with non-glass finishes to meet specific requirements. Equally easy to operate, the MOVEO® Glass ensures sound attenuation levels of up to 50dB.

Email: movablewalls@dorma-uk.co.uk