History
At the high point of the theatre tradition around the turn of the century, when fire prevention for events in public spaces was still the responsibility of the police, it was known that the sound qualities of a space could be adjusted as required by using loose-hanging curtains.
To put it another way, these could affect the sound so that even in the theatre frequencies were audible, allowing barely audible sounds to be heard that were required for a successful performance.
The Italian builders of the time were the best acousticians in the world. Opera houses with the use of fabric-based devices allowed the highest standards to be met.
This was the first time the curtain had intentionally played an important role on the stage, in the literal sense.
The importance of fabric hangings will continue to maintain this historic role, because once again the physical properties of textiles are universally recognised for the role they can play within buildings, for instance in regulating temperature or sound levels.
This includes the reduction of decibel values. The rise in the number of people with hearing difficulties shows that sound levels are on the rise. Protection against harmful noise will be an important additional factor to make our fabrics sell commercially.
It is also important to consider the design of the curtains, because in modern architecture this ought to be a central factor.
Even if the fabric’s haptic qualities are the initial focus of interest, its secondary functions are also extremely significant.
This means that the key task is to integrate the benefits of the textiles in harmony with their appearance in order to create an entity which fits in with the overall plan in every way.