What is Skyfold? What is this new market leading technology in the movable wall market? Well, Skyfold is what it says it is. It’s a vertically folding acoustic movable wall that folds and stores into a ceiling void or the vacant space above the wall. It is unlike the conventional sliding folding partitions that hang from the ceiling and are typically stored to one side or both sides of a room using up valuable floor space.

Formed from an idea between an Architect and an Engineer, Skyfold was started in 1990 in Montreal Canada. It has become the most exciting development in the movable wall market with a number of different vertically folding wall products. The brand has gone on to become a popular architectural product to the worlds leading design houses. The Skyfold products are now used in the Health Care, hospitality, sports, and leisure markets as well as the popular commercial and office meeting room markets. In 2015 Skyfold completed 5,000 walls worldwide. MJF Interiors introduced Skyfold to Ireland in 2001 and it has been a huge success in the Educational, sports and leisure and corporate markets in this country.

It is the acoustic leader in vertical folding wall technology. It looked carefully at the movable office walls market and realised that sliding folding partitions and movable walls while useful, used up so many valuable resources in terms of office space, the structural requirements to support them and the valuable time and energy and expensive resources it used to operate them. They designed a solution that could be a highly acoustic wall, that had its weight evenly distributed along the length of the wall so reducing the amount of expensive structural steel required ,save valuable floor space and  be folded and stored in the space above the wall.

The Skyfold walls are more than just space dividers; they are innovative, custom, electric and premium multipurpose space solutions that allow architects, interior designers, contractors and end-users to redefine how a space is used. The easy-to-use, self-retracting system and vertical motion of the operable wall gives users the flexibility to quickly divide or expand spaces. When deployed, Skyfold becomes a two-sided, rigid wall and acoustic barrier with acoustic ratings of up to Rw 59 dB. When not in use the Skyfold disappears into the ceiling allowing the user to maximise their floor space.

The Skyfold solution is not just a soundproofing partition wall system used to configure spaces; its also created to be a multipurpose design piece that lives within a space. With a wide selection of finish options that can be mixed and matched, the Skyfold wall can be customised to complement, and even enhance your spaces design. The Skyfold standard whiteboard surface finish further transforms a moving partition wall into a projection screen and a writing surface.

Easy and Efficient

• Simple turnkey operation
• No physical effort required
• Retracts quietly and effortlessly

Exceptional Safety Features

• Operated by two push button switches controlled by a single three-position key switch
• Uses aircraft-grade wire cables sized for a high safety factor
• Each cable is lifted by a separate cable drum

Aesthetically Pleasing

• Seals are internal
• No unsightly wall and floor tracks
•  Walls can be installed to meet at 90°

Cost-Effective and Lightweight

• Modular system that allows for design flexibility
• Light weight resulting in savings in structural steel
•  Even load exerted on the structure, no load concentrations or shifting loads

Available in a Variety of Finishes

• Vinyl, fabric, speciality metals, plastic laminates, marking surfaces, wood veneer, and more

The most remarkable feature of the Skyfold system is that it folds vertically into the space or ceiling void above the wall. This is a completely different concept to the generic sliding folding partitions and movable walls that are used everywhere today. But the main features and benefits of the Skyfold system would be…….

1. Its acoustically superior to any other vertically folding product on the market and most generic movable office walls. Skyfold have created an exceptional sound barrier that must be heard to be believed. The walls offer a level of soundproofing quality that goes above and beyond industry standard especially when you consider that this high quality applies to the entire system, and not just the panels. When deployed, Skyfold provides a two sided, rigid wall and acoustic barrier with acoustic ratings of up to Rw59 for sound insulation. The standard Skyfold Classic, Zenith and Zenith Premium operable walls are 300mm thick with two independently fitted panes of steelpanels separated by 260mm of air space which creates an anechoic chamber to kill noise transfer. Each panel has 38mm of insulation attached to its back. The Skyfold NRC models are not only designed to stop sound but also to absorb it. Many top architectural irms have approved Skyfold vertically folding walls around the world for use in spaces where sound control is critical.
2. Skyfold is an easy to use product. Skyfolds vertically folding retractable walls are incredibly easy-to-use. Electronic systems work effortlessly with a turn-key operation or a digital touch screen, and there is simply no longer any need for manual interventions when positioning the walls A room can be quickly and quietly configured with our simple push button process providing users with tremendous space flexibility at all times. In contrast to the conventional sliding folding partitions and movable walls that have to be manually pulled and pushed into position and in most cases manually sealed into position, the Skyfold can be done at the touch of a screen or button.
3. Unlimited Configuration. Technically Superior, the Skyfold solutions aim to be multipurpose. The vertical motion of the Skyfold walls gives users the flexibility to quickly divide or expand a space, allowing for the redefinition of that space over and over again. With the recent Covid Pandemic for example, flexible office space concepts have become the future of workspaces everywhere, permitting multipurpose workspaces, both individual and collaborative, to comfortably co-exist. When not in use, Skyfold walls rest neatly in their folded position in the ceiling space and valuable floor space no longer needs to be compromised. Suspended or top hung sliding folding partitions movable walls and panels use valuable storage space on the floor to be stored and very often cause design problems for architects and designers. The Skyfold vertically folding wall removes those design issues by being stored in the less valuable space in the ceiling void.
4. The Skyfold system is Design Friendly. The Skyfold wall not only offers phenomenal operational performance, it also aims to offer aesthetic appeal. The Skyfold Zenith series, Zenith Premium series and the Classic series ensure no floor or wall tracks, not to mention visible hinges, which is a real design advantage. Also, its easy to create a uniquely distinctive look for your Skyfold wall with the wide selection of materials and finishes on offer that can be mixed, matched and enhanced. The unlimited amount of available finishes alone allows you to create the practical space you desire while incorporating your personal touch on your project

5. Sustainability, When it comes to design, achieving wellness and sustainability is essential in three important areas; environmental, economic and social. Skyfold is well positioned to effectively respond to these challenges. Our vertically folding operable walls are specifically constructed using up to fully 97% of recycled materials, thereby offering tremendous sustainable advantages and opportunities to earn LEED points in several categories. Skyfold and MJF Interiors are fully committed to promoting sustainable buildings with the highest indoor environmental quality, a commitment that extends to not only the products Skyfold make, but the operations and manufacturing techniques employed in the factory.

6. A Fast Set Up. Unlike movable office walls and sliding folding portions, Skyfold lets you reconfigure a space in only minutes! A manual sliding folding partition movable wall can take up to 2 pairs of hands and depending on the size of the movable office walls, much more time to configure than a Skyfold folding wall. As the operating system requires little manpower and minimal maintenance, you can rely on Skyfold’s quick easy, and versatile space management solutions to create multipurpose rooms-anytime.

7. Quiet! As large as Skyfold walls can be, rest assured that operating them is thankfully silent. Along with the superior soundproofing features, their quick operation allows you to reconfigure your space with no disruption of its surroundings. With the operable folding partitions quietly unfolding from the ceiling, you could set up a banquet hall without disturbing a conference going on right next door!

8. Lightweight! Thanks to an ingenious structural design that uses less steel, Skyfold operable folding walls are lighter than most traditional top hung suspended sliding folding partitions and movable walls. Despite the Skyfold system having unlimited widths the support structure will always be lightweight. The Skyfold system uses less structural support steel then required to support a traditional top hung sliding folding partition or movable wall.

9. Flexibility! The Skyfold system can be highly customised to your space and the systems can adapt to all types of environments and applications. Whether large or small, simple, or complex (Such as sloped gymnasiums, stepped-floor auditoriums, or stairs, to use only a few examples), we can design and adapt to your every need. Our Movable walls have revolutionised flexible space concepts in offices, schools, hotels, venues and convention centres in Ireland and worldwide and this flexibility extends to a vast capability of aesthetic freedom of design as well.

10. Reliability! Probably one of the more important features and benefits of using Skyfold Vertically operable walls. While the Skyfold is known for rapid and easy to use operations, rest assured they are also highly reliable. The walls are equipped with a safety obstruction sensor, and these built in sensors on the lower edge ensure that the system will stop when there is any sort of obstruction. Also, when a the Skyfold deploys, the side seals extend automatically and make a reliable and consistent acoustic barrier. The partitions are durable, built to endure many years of dependable operation and MJF Interiors are proud to stand firmly behind the Skyfold product by offering an industry leading 10-year warranty. Experience has proved that a properly maintained Skyfold system costs less to maintain than sliding folding partitions movable walls. This is largely because there is no human contact with the Skyfold system as it is just operated by a touch screen or a key turn. Whereas the movable office walls or sliding folding partitions will require human force to move the panels and this if not caried out correctly can lead to damaged property and damage to the folding wall system. Minimal training is required for the Skyfold system but businesses that use the traditional sliding folding partitions tend to suffer more damage to the walls, especially in high staff turnover areas such as hotels and convention centres.