SmokeStop smoke curtains were used for smoke compartmentation in the new state-of-the-art Hoyts digital cinema complex at Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne.

Technical issue

Known as ‘The Fashion Capital’, Chadstone Shopping Centre has over 600 retail outlets across more than 200,000 square metres, making it the largest shopping centre in Australia. The long awaited $660 million Chadstone Shopping Centre expansion revealed a 31-metre-high atrium at the northern end, which is home to the new flagship Hoyts cinema. The latest Hoyts cinema offers the absolute best in entertainment including a new ‘Eat Street’ area.

The Hoyts cinema complex is nestled on the second floor with a massive open frontage overlooking the shops below. In order to keep a large degree of openness, Greene Fire installed automatic smoke curtains, deploying over 8 metres from the ceilings to compartmentalise the cinema from the atria and the shops below.

SmokeStop smoke curtains

Greene Fire solution

Working with Probuild on this design and construct project, eight single and multi-roller SmokeStop smoke curtains were installed within the entrance and surrounding open plan areas measuring over 5m to 8m wide with 8m drops. Side guides were required for the high pressures expected across the curtains due to the large expanse of fabric, and were carefully integrated into the main columns to ensure smooth, unobtrusive clean lines. SmokeStop smoke curtains are tested and assessed to BS EN 12101-1 (2005). The complete smoke curtain system is classified as D600A to BS EN 13501-4 (2007).

SmokeStop smoke curtains

Key benefits for this project:

SmokeStop smoke curtains provide an operable automatic barrier to stop or channel smoke in a building, allowing designers to create large open-plan areas.
Smoke curtains were installed within the ceiling space and remain invisibly retracted until activated by an alarm or detector signal, at which time they descend safely to their operational position to the floor.
A single control panel contains all the vital components for the system operation, which is installed in one easy accessible location for future service and maintenance.

Project details

Project: Smoke compartmentation at the new Hoyts cinema, Chadstone Shopping Centre

Sector: Leisure and entertainment

Architect: The Buchan Group

Builder: Probuild

Fire Engineer: Arup

Application: Atrium

Product: SmokeStop smoke curtains

Architecture & Design Team

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Greene Fire

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