Sustainable Textiles at Paddy Power parent company flagship HQ in Dublin

High-spec eco wallcoverings and backlit materials from CMYUK have been used in the extensive remodelling and refurbishment of Flutter’s worldwide HQ in Dublin. This venture involved significant demolition and reconstruction from the ground up to transform this office complex, built in 1999, into a contemporary and collaborative working space.

Artworks Solutions worked alongside Claremont Group Interiors to deliver the project. It has produced a variety of graphics for key walls and lightboxes situated in communal areas throughout the seven-storey, 164,000 sq. ft building, along with several acoustic solutions.

Flutter feel

“The client wanted a distinct ‘Flutter feel’ to its Dublin HQ.   It wanted a concept that could be used across its worldwide offices to create an unmistakable and compelling Flutter environment,” says Seath Herbert, Managing Director of Artwork Solutions.

The company identified key focal spaces within the Dublin HQ that would benefit from graphical treatment. From here, its in-house design team assembled a visual pack from a printed wallcovering perspective, including treatments for dry-wipe functional surfaces, large graphic walls, lightboxes and acoustic panels. It worked closely with Claremont Interiors to ensure that its schema worked within the overall interior design parameters, that graphics colourways worked with flooring, and that all visual assets were part of the current branding roster.

Walls and corridors

Artworks Solutions digitally printed graphics for over 40 walls across all seven Flutter’s flagship office storeys. Due to the large amount of print required, it was very keen to use products with an environmental edge.  Artworks presented Flutter with two eco-solutions:  Kavalan Gecko 320GB and UFabrik Backlit Textile ECO FR, both exclusive to CMYUK. After extensive evaluation, it was very confident to specify these materials for high-volume usage.

“In the past, we’ve found inconsistencies and instability in eco products, they just didn’t seem to have had enough market testing. We’ve never had any production issues with the materials we specified for this project and the installers like working with these too. It was the right time to put these products in front of this client. These products tick all the boxes for sustainability, performance integrity, and price point. The client was very keen to proceed,” says Seath.

Kavalan Geko 320GB is a PVC-free, recyclable polyester-based textile and is an excellent sustainable alternative for single-piece wallcoverings and display systems. It has B1 and EN13501-1 fire ratings and meets the highest environmental standards including EN-71, 33P, ROHS, REACH and  Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approval.

UFabrik Backlit Textile ECO FR was used in a prominent design feature of the building, a tunnel-effect corridor that connects the ground floor reception with the central atrium.  This walkway has been designed to create maximum impact.  Dramatic and moody walls have studded either side by lightboxes. Sensor-controlled and activated by movement, these powerful LED illuminated printed images reveal themselves as staff and visitors walk by.

This inventive backlit textile is produced from 100% recycled PET plastic bottle waste. Manufactured to the highest standards, it is top coated for use with UV and Latex inks, and ensures brilliant colour reproduction. Crease and wrinkle-free on tension and doesn’t bruise or mark when folded. Fire-rated to DIN 4102-1-B1 & EN13501 standards is also REACH, Global Recycled Standard certified, and compliant with California Proposition 65. It’s quickly becoming material for backlit and frontlit display applications.

“The lightbox images will be regularly updated so it was important for us to use a sustainable material that could be easily recycled. But that alone wasn’t enough, it also needed to print high quality and feature brilliant colour reproduction at close viewing distances. UFabrik Backlit Eco does it all,” says Seath.

Graphic installations

Artworks Solutions runs a large in-house installation department that has four in-house fitting teams. It also works with numerous trusted contractors as on any single day, it can have up to 12 teams out in the field installing work. The Dublin installation was more demanding than most. Delivered during Lockdown and on the back of Brexit, it had a unique set of associated logistics and travel restrictions challenges. It took 2 months to install  – with an interchangeable crew of six including two permanent mainstays, providing consistency throughout to get the job done.