Anyone visiting the Manoel Theatre in the last few months would have noticed a significant embellishment to the ongoing refurbishment of the theatre: a brand new carpet covering the stairs, landings and all the boxes.

Sponsored by MSV Life, the new gold and green patterned carpet covers 600 square metres.

“The design was created in-house and we chose a style that would be in harmony with the Baroque fabric of the theatre, elegant but discreet at the same time and, moreover, in a colour that is in synch with the rest of the theatre’s décor,” said Michael Grech, chairman of the Manoel Theatre.

The project took three months to complete

Recently classified by CNN as one of the 15 most spectacular theatres in the world, the Manoel sees thousands of patrons coming through its doors during the nine-month performance season, as well as the thousands of tourists who visit this historic building all year round.

To accommodate this heavy traffic the new carpet is a woven, high quality, heavy-duty carpet made of 80 per cent wool and 20 per cent from Axminister’s collection Walk of Fame. It was produced and manufactured in Belgium. It conforms to EU standards and is certified with a fire retarded classification with a specific underlay that reduces the impact of sound.

“The project took three months to complete and, in order to limit disruption, was undertaken during the Baroque Festival, when most of the events were held outside,” said Ray Attard, the Manoel’s chief executive officer.

The Manoel’s performance season has now come to an end. However, it remains open over the summer months for daily tours. The 2014-2015 performance season starts again in October with an eclectic and exciting programme of music, dance and drama.

www.teatrumanoel.com.mt