The spacecraft that brought British astronaut Tim Peake back to Earth from space had a record number of visitors during its display period at the National Museum Cardiff. The Soyuz TMA-19M capsule transported the British astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Principia mission in 2015. At the time of the exhibit opening in last November in Cardiff and as part of a national tour Tim Peake said he hoped the free exhibition would “inspire” future scientists
David Anderson, Director General of the National Museum Wales said at the time, “the Soyuz capsule represents one of history’s most incredible technological feats.”
In creating an exhibition area worthy of such a ‘star-studded’ adventure into space the National Museum of Wales would need to utilise existing flooring that was first installed in 2008.The brief then was that any flooring would have to look stunning and be able to sustain the levels of high footfall that future exhibits may attract. The Tim Peake Exhibition in 2018 did just that by creating huge crowds eager to see his space capsule. The interior design department at the museum in 2008 would turn to international flooring specialist Gerflor to deliver a future proof flooring solution that would meet this high criterion. Some 550m2 of Gerflor’s high-performing Attraction® would ultimately be specified for three gallery areas.
Simon Tozzo, Exhibition Designer, National Museum of Wales commented, “the performance rating of Gerflor’s Attraction® range was very impressive, and we were in knowledge of the ease of restoration to a ‘new’ finish after wear and tear.” Continuing to comment Simon Tozzo said, “we used the Attraction® range in three galleries as a suite of changeable spaces. The flooring has a been a boon and we also specified it for a high-wear children’s activity centre in our Big Pit museum, using various colours as a “harlequin” design.”
Gerflor’s Attraction® range is a perfect solution for renovation, it is a fast track loose lay vinyl tile with interlocking edges which allows for rapid installation and replacement This permits the area to remain open and provides a clean installation with no adhesive or dust. A two-person team can install up to 200m² in 8 hours that is four times faster than conventional tiles and can be installed on a sub floor with minimal preparation. With a Protecsol® 2 surface treatment it requires minimal maintenance and is a highly durable solution suitable for heavy traffic applications in a host of sectors. There are 15 colour-ways and 3 designs which allows you to mix and match colours and designs. Gerflor have also recently revamped the colour assortment of their Attraction® ranges of dove-tail tiles to include 6 new neutral colours coming from their “Neopolis” raw terrazzo inspired design.
The Attraction® range when compared with alternative flooring such as ceramic tiles delivers 19 dB less noise and when users walk on it the product’s underfoot comfort reduces fatigue. With excellent slip-resistant properties and a R10 rating it’s a popular choice for high traffic areas. Attraction® is 100% REACH compliant, is free of formaldehyde, heavy metals, solvents and has 80% recycled content. It also delivers TVOC emissions 100 times better than norm requirements (TVOC < 10 μg/m3 after 28 days) and is Floorscore® certified, M1 certified and complies with AgBB protocol with no formaldehyde emissions.
The Attraction® range from Gerflor has been hugely beneficial to the National Museum of Wales as it can be lifted individually tile by tile and replaced if damaged without lifting the entire floor. This would be a huge advantage moving forward from 2008 until the present day, creating another massive bonus in future proofing the area which was used for the Tim Peake exhibit space. Simon Tozzo ended by saying, “This is a great product that performs brilliantly for a high footfall environment.”
Learn more about Gerflor solutions, ask for a free sample or contact us to speak to a specialist today by calling 01926 622 600, emailing contractuk@gerflor.com, or visiting gerflor.co.uk for the latest innovations.
