Hawkins Brown’s work refurbishing and upgrading London’s grade II listed art deco Hackney Town Hall won it an RIBA regional award this year. A significant element was the covering over of two underused courtyards, creating new atria that the Town Hall can use as revenue-generating entertainment venues. To hide the new service runs, the firm asked Armstrong Ceiling Solutions to create folded bronze anodised aluminium panels to veil them. The panels were custom perforated by laser into a pattern that mimics the original walls behind it – brickwork, Crittall windows, drainpipes and all. The trompe l’oeil effect conceals the new smoke ventilation system and features acoustic fleece behind it to absorb sound reflections around the space.