New Playhouse, Montrose

Veitchi Flooring was asked to programme, site survey, and complete a design workshop with the client’s design team on a unique project.

They were delivering what could only be a pioneering vision, redeveloping the community swimming pool as a multiscreen cinema/bar and hub, something heretofore only found in bigger cities, for the local Montrose community. Veitchi were lucky to be involved from an early stage as the project moved from concept to design.

Project challenges and how they were overcome?

The total change of a facility and usage meant infilling the existing pool and changing the area to form a cinema, bar and restaurant. This involved a tight programme, various areas of deep screed to make the floor level and multi- trades. A big community space in the basement was overlayed with plywood and vinyl. In spite of the scope and involvement of the project, Veitchi worked hard to ensure the client’s overall programme requirements were met, extending the duration of the project instead of compromising standards, the more common practice in construction these days.

The client was experienced and understood that a project of this complexity would not run to the clock. Through our collaboration, mitigation time was added to the programme to ensure there was no rush or unnecessary stress added to the construction phase.

Our partners in this project included:

• Mapei
• Polyflor
• Heckmondwike
• Quantum

Background:

Montrose sits as a small community village in the north of Scotland. With a strong sense of purpose, the local village residents were adamant that they would have a place to meet and keep their community strong and prosperous. Veitchi Flooring played a considerable part in the project collaborating closing with the local main contractor Bancon to ensure that the residents’ ambitions were supported and encouraged.

Attention to detail was at the front of our quality assurance approach. From the outset, Veichi Flooring dealt with the preparation of various heights of subfloor, external corners, and vertical faces on a large scale before tackling  the supply and installation of the Polyflor Herringbone and designer carpet within the cinema rooms. The finished works shows a visually stunning building with a fantastic, detailed finish.

When one remembers that this started as a community swimming pool, it is a great advertisement of what can be achieved when local communities come together to find sustainable reuse purposes for their facilities.

Customer Testimonial

Mr Paton
I think what we have achieved here for £3.5m is real value for money.

We hope everyone who comes to the Playhouse will agree. We have managed that with the combination of good contractors working with us and being sensible with things.

David Paton is responsible for the project in Montrose and was inspired by walking by the derelict structure. He spent years sketching various designs for the building before committing to the project and taking to Facebookin search of local support to get the project off the ground. So there’s a lot of power in the thumb emoji.

The project at Montrose encapsulates all that is good about more than just a fantastic flooring installation.

This was a derelict building, sitting abandoned in a struggling town centre. The vision and persistence of one man who decided that he was not prepared to see this building go to waste inspired a community and an industry to get involved and assist in transforming it from derelict to picture-perfect. Veitchi Floorings’ involvement as a supply chain partner inspired local fitters, some of whom had used the facility in its original use and who now take their children to show off what “ yur Da built” last year.