Brintons carpets has broken new ground in weaving technology after reproducing a photo-realistic image in an Axminster carpet that has just been installed at the renovated ‘Band on the Wall’ live music venue in Manchester.

As a company with a strong reputation for its design and technical leadership, Brintons was commissioned to weave the piece of original art that was specifically produced by Manchester-based artists Michael Trainor and William Chitham to make a stunning three-dimensional impact on the floor of the historic venue.

The single giant image that was woven in Axminster is based on the specialist plugs, sockets, connectors and other equipment that are commonly used in the music industry. The design also features different coloured audio leads that guide club-goers to different areas within the 1930s venue. The image was used across two floors in the venue – a significant break from the traditional use of repeat patterns in carpet.

To reproduce the image in carpet and to fully capture its photo-realist quality, Brintons needed to call on all of its technical expertise during the weaving process. However, all of the time and effort that went into the project was justified because the Band on the Wall carpet has ensured Brintons’ place in the history books for breaking radical new ground in weaving technology by achieving a quality of image definition that has never been seen before in carpet.

Brintons’ Commercial Director, Phil Harris, said: “To achieve a truly three dimensional,
photo-realistic image in carpet was a complex project because we were using more colours than we’ve ever used before.

“However, we used the technical expertise that is at the heart of the company and it’s fair to say that the carpet is unlike anything that has ever been produced before. The reproduction of the image is crystal clear and I think we’ve set a new technical standard for what can be achieved when weaving a carpet. It makes a stunning impact that will grab the attention of everyone that walks through the door at Band on the Wall.”

Artist Michael Trainor said: “By marrying high definition digital photography and computer imaging techniques with the very latest carpet weaving technology, we’ve done something that’s never been done before. The image is so good that it appears to be tangibly real and you really have to pinch yourself to remember that it’s woven in a carpet. It’s undoubtedly the centre piece of the venue.”