Situated at Constitutional Hill in Johannesburg is a world-class music recording studio designed with high end acoustics and recording system in a heritage site.

MMPS was approached by Nandos to design, build and commission a recording facility that would rate as one of the best in South Africa. Constitution Hill was chosen as the home for the studio complex. The design and supply included all aspects of the recording studio including the acoustic works, the mechanical and electrical works as well as the recording system. MMPS utilised their internal engineers and experienced project managers with their network of specialised engineers, suppliers and contractors to design, build and manage the entire project for start to finish.

Being a heritage site brought along a number of challenges as no alterations to the building were allowed. Further challenges included the fact that the chosen areas were situated in the Ramparts – domed rooms with 900mm concrete walls.

After the initial designs our interior designer did a full set of high quality 3D renders for approval by the client before we did the detail designs. These renders were used by the Client to determine their “Look and Feel” finishes. These finishes for the acoustic treatment were designed by the interior team to reflect an authentic South African aesthetic.

Entering the facility, one feels as if you were entering a century old building, rustic original finishes with concrete floors, concrete white washed walls and domed soffits until you reach the studio area that stuns you with a high-end, state of the art recording facility.

The original rooms were complex acoustic environments with domed concrete ceilings and hard walls and floors. In addition the Heritage Board stipulated that – no alterations to the building would be allowed, we had to come up with a design that not only gave excellent isolation, but also created an acoustic environment that was free from echoes and standing waves while ensuring a studio that was not too dead.