The 40 sq m Matt Black Studio Floor
Close up of the matt black studio floor
The 70 sq m matt black studio floor
Lino and Studio threshold
Introduction
The Film Department at Central St Martins, University of Arts London in Kings Cross wanted to upgrade two studio spaces with a professional matt black television studio floor. After researching options and visiting The Hospital Club Studio in Covent Garden, they selected Elgood Industrial Flooring to remove the existing lino and install a new Elgood Presentation Television Studio Floor system. Working alongside Lateral Concepts and taking advantage of a short window during the Summer Break, Elgood delivered two matt black studio floors of approximately 40 m² and 70 m², providing a clean, durable and visually consistent surface for film and TV teaching.
Background
Central St Martins is one of the UK’s leading arts and design colleges, with dedicated facilities for film and moving image. As part of an upgrade to their studio spaces at the Kings Cross campus, the Film Department wanted a floor finish that would support camera work, lighting and set building while maintaining a neutral, professional appearance.
After visiting The Hospital Club Studio in Covent Garden and reviewing a number of options, the team chose a matt black finish that had already been adopted successfully in a number of smaller studios where use is light. The existing lino floor in the two studios was no longer suitable for the level of production and teaching planned, and there was a narrow opportunity to carry out refurbishment during the Summer Break without disrupting students or bookings.
The Challenge
The project needed to meet several key requirements:
• Replace an old lino floor in two studios with a purpose designed television studio floor system
• Provide a matt black finish that would minimise unwanted reflections, work well under studio lighting and complement a wide range of set designs
• Ensure the new floor would be robust enough for film teaching and light studio use, including regular reconfiguration of equipment and sets
• Prepare the existing substrate properly so that the new system would bond reliably and perform over the long term
• Complete all works at relatively short notice within the limited window available during the Summer Break
The Solution
Elgood Industrial Flooring designed and delivered a studio floor solution based on its in-house manufactured Presentation Television Studio Floor system.
Key elements of the solution included:
• Removal of existing lino
The existing lino floor was fully stripped out from the two studio spaces, exposing the underlying substrate for inspection and preparation.
• Vacuum contained diamond grinding
The exposed surface was prepared using vacuum contained diamond grinding, removing adhesive residues and laitance while providing a clean, textured key for the new studio floor system. This dust controlled method helped maintain a tidy working environment within the college building.
• Elgood Presentation Television Studio Floor
Central St Martins chose the Elgood Presentation Television Studio Floor, installed at approximately 5 mm thickness with a matt black finish. This system is designed specifically for television and presentation studios where use is moderate, providing a stable, smooth surface suitable for tripods, dollies and light set work.
• Two studio areas
The installation covered two studios of approximately 40 m² and 70 m², giving both spaces a consistent, professional matt black appearance and a common performance standard across the Film Department’s facilities.
• Collaborative delivery and short notice programme
Working alongside Lateral Concepts, Elgood coordinated the installation to fit within the available Summer Break window, responding at relatively short notice to ensure the studios were ready for the new academic term.
All work was carried out by Elgood’s own small, full-time in-house studio flooring team, giving the university a single point of responsibility for manufacture, preparation and installation.
Outcome
The completed project has provided the University of Arts London’s Central St Martins Film Department with two upgraded studio spaces at Kings Cross that are better suited to contemporary teaching and production:
• Two matt black Presentation Television Studio Floors delivering a consistent, professional look across 40 m² and 70 m² studios
• A smooth, stable surface that supports camera work, lighting and set building for film and moving image projects
• Reduced reflections and visual distractions thanks to the carefully selected matt black finish
• A durable floor system designed for studios where use is light to moderate, offering reliable performance and straightforward maintenance
• A refurbishment completed within the Summer Break, ensuring the studios were ready for use without disrupting the academic calendar
By replacing the old lino with a purpose designed 5 mm Presentation Television Studio Floor, Elgood Industrial Flooring has helped Central St Martins create studio environments that support high quality film teaching and small scale production in the heart of Kings Cross.
